Everchanging
by Sheppard Studios
Summary: [H] When Fox McCloud is unexpectedly taken down by an unknown assassin, the real question is how will everyone move on without him? For Krystal, the night she lost him was the worst day of her life, and it will only get worse from there unless something, or someone can help her. This life is an everchanging life... she wasn't the only one who lost someone that day. (Krystal/Wolf)
1. Chapter I

_A/N: Hey fellas. It's Haygood. Got a new story for you fellas to enjoy.  
_

 _I had this idea of mine in my head for just under a month, but just yesterday I was able to put it into words. That being said, yesterday I wrote the entire thing, and today I revised it for publication. So, if there are any things wrong with it, please don't hesitate to let me know. Usually I'm better at proofreading, but I just wanted to get this out while I had a spare moment._

 _So, being this is a new story_ _—and yes I have every intention to finish this unlike my first project that probably won't go anywhere at all_ — _I'd_ _like to hear from you fellas on it. Shep always gets all the publicity, so I guess it's my turn to sap some up. Hopefully I can get the next chapter to this out soon. Hope you fellas enjoy._

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 **Chapter I: I'm Sorry**

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If it weren't for the blaring screams of telephone lines, the constant clatter of equipment echoing down the starkly white halls, or the faint voices traveling from one end of the hospital to the other, it would have been dead silent.

Well… at least she was dead silent.

Sitting in a chair directly adjacent from room 307, Krystal stayed silent and curled up—her muzzle resting on her knees and her paws clasped together in front of her legs. She could barely breathe without feeling his pain. His agonized pain just on the other side of the wall she was leaning on. She felt more pain than he did to be frank.

She felt helpless sitting alone, just waiting and praying that Fox would be okay. She pleaded that he would be okay. It wasn't often that he had to go to the emergency room, and from there straight into the ICU where they immediately started operating on him. It just happened so fast that she just now was able to sit and attempt to process the absolute hell she endured just over the span of a few hours.

She still didn't even know why Fox was in there in the first place. She was safe and comfortable at home until she got a call from Peppy saying that Fox had been hurt bad, and that she needed to get to the hospital immediately. She only caught a brief glimpse of what the orange fox looked like before being carted off into the ICU, and what she saw didn't raise her spirits. Not in the slightest.

Her ear twitched erratically when she heard Fox's door unlock. Out stepped one particular figure, the one who sent her the first message of Fox's dilemma. Although Krystal knew Peppy was getting up there in the age groups, he never let it show. This was one instance where she was proven wrong. The poor hare looked ten years older than he actually was judging by his expression. Krystal's first thoughts she found of his were plagued with overwhelming worry and distress, yet she couldn't completely decipher their intentions. She herself was too distraught to fully utilize her telepathy.

Peppy immediately let his expression drop into the abyss when he first saw Krystal in the position she was in. He sniffed and slowly walked up to the blue vixen, placing a paw on her shoulder.

"You okay Krystal?" he asked.

"How is Fox?" the vixen abruptly questioned. "What happened to him?"

Peppy sighed and took a seat directly next to the vixen. "Someone organized a hit on him."

Krystal about exploded in sheer shock and overwhelming rage. "What? Who?"

"I don't know," replied the hare sadly. "All I know is that we were having a day off like we always do, and… Fox, he… …I…"

He eventually let tears flow from his eyes and looked down at the floor. "I'll tell you what Krys, I'm gonna find the son of a bitch that did this if it's the last thing I do," he growled, trying, but failing to withhold his emotions.

He eventually picked himself out of the seat without another word, slowly walking down the hall in such a flustered, frustrated, and a predominantly sorrowful manner that Krystal couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She knew how much Fox meant to Peppy; hell he essentially raised the vulpine way back in the day when Fox's father died. Seeing Peppy so distraught over Fox's well-being only exponentiated her own worry for how he was really doing on the other side of that wall.

Krystal lowered her head and deepened her prayerful state. _Talk to me Fox_ , she thought, hoping her telepathy would let her talk to him. _Please. I need to hear you say you're okay. Tell me you're okay Fox._

Her prayer to him was abruptly terminated when she heard the door unlatch once again. This time, a lean lupine doctor exited the room with a recognizable blue avian closely following. Falco was just as, if not more upset than Peppy was, and that was saying something right there.

"Please tell me you're joking," Falco practically demanded, grabbing the doctor's shoulders so that he couldn't move.

"I'm sorry Mister Lombardi, but…" the doctor started, folding his ears back as he let a sigh out of his nose. "We can't do anything more."

"Bullshit!" snapped the avian, reluctant to let the wolf go. "You have to do something! Please!"

"We've done everything we can," stated the doctor frankly. "I'm sorry. His… his wounds were just too severe."

Falco let out a silent string of profanities and let the doctor go, cupping his head in his hands in complete disbelief. He just aimlessly spun around and paced the hallway, cursing every single curse he knew under his breath until his eyes locked up with Krystal. He immediately froze.

Krystal never saw the avian so inconsolable in her life, but she was literally within seconds of seeing him break down and cry. With his beak slightly ajar, he slowly trudged up to the vixen, but couldn't do anything more than that.

Krystal herself couldn't bring herself to speak either. She was in complete shock at what she just overheard, and judging by Falco's expression, he didn't want her to hear it yet.

"Fox?" the blue vixen squeaked out, making the avian immediately cringe in emotional pain.

Falco blinked twice, and as a singular cold tear left his eye he shook his head slightly.

Krystal's heart snapped in half.

"I'm sorry Krystal," he said softly, practically on the verge of a breakdown. "I'm… I… I'm so sorry."

The blue vixen refused to take that for an answer and sprang to her feet, nearly plowing the avian over as she stormed into Fox's room. Inside was dimly lit, only by the large hanging light that was pivoted upwards slightly. Underneath the large hospital light laid an unmoving vulpine body.

 _Fox_.

Krystal slowly encroached on his frame, tears beginning to stream down her face. Everything below his neck was covered up, but the vulpine had a massive bandage over the entire left side of his face. In one particular spot just above where his eyebrow would have been was a large red stain almost two inches in diameter, giving the vixen a sick feeling to her stomach.

Her first action was to reach out and touch him, right on the spot where she could find his neck. If she could find it, his pulse was incredibly weak and almost nonexistent. Her paw slowly moved up to the exposed part of his forehead, and she nearly gasped when she couldn't detect the slightest bit of his brain patterns.

He was still alive, but… at the same time he wasn't.

He was stuck in limbo, reluctant to accept a complete death but unable to speak against it. However, he was slowly losing his fight as his pulse faded little by little. Krystal knew this evident fact, and slowly started to lose her composure.

"Fox…" she squeaked in disbelief. "What… what happened to you…?"

She grabbed his limp arm that had multiple IV needles sticking out, and clutched it tightly as if her life depended on it. She felt his soft arm fur on her face, but what made her even more upset was the lack of warmth it had. Compared to her body, his arm was ice cold.

"Fox… …please don't do this…" the terribly broken voice of Krystal just barely became audible to even herself. "Please don't leave me Fox… …Not like this…"

Much to her dismay, Fox still didn't even recognize her presence. His pulse and brain activity continued to drop, despite her internal efforts to try and stop them. She couldn't be left like this. Not without saying a goodbye if this was what it came down to.

Channeling all of her telepathic powers, she leaned over his bedside and pressed her forehead into his, hoping and praying with all of her ability to finally hear his voice again. _Please talk to me Fox_ , she thought to him, deepening her hold on the vulpine's head. _Come back to me. Tell me what to do._

Silence ensued. She repeated her message to his mind once more with more intensity, trying to break the barrier between his spirit and what had become of his mind. She prayed with all of her mental strength, but nothing was coming through. He wasn't responding to anything.

"Fox, please come back to me," she eventually whispered, letting her tears drip onto his face. "I don't know what to do without you..."

Again, nothing came back. She was starting to lose hope.

"I won't ask for anything else of you Fox," she tried to reason, deepening her hold and attempted link on Fox's spirit. "Just come back… just once… tell me what to do…"

For a third time in a row, she was left unanswered. Letting her pent up anger and sorrow explode outward, she burst into tears and pressed her face against his, desperately trying to talk to him again. "I just want to hear your voice!" she spoke in a hoarse, choking whisper, drowning in her emotions. "Just talk to me Fox! Come back and talk to me! Please!"

Her grief eventually overwhelmed her as she slowly peeled her face off of his, matting her face fur in the process of trying to get his attention. She grabbed his unmoving cheeks and stared at his one closed eye that wasn't covered. He just looked so peaceful. So calm and serene.

How she wished she could feel that same tranquility, not having to deal with Fox's completely unexpected departure. How she wanted to give up everything just to be with him one last time.

Sobbing one more time, she inched her muzzle closer and planted a kiss right on Fox's cheek. "Foxy…"

 _Krystal?_

She nearly jumped in surprise. Her pleas and prayers finally worked.

"Fox!" she yipped in surprise, finally letting a grin surface. "Fox, what happened to you?"

 _Someone didn't want me around anymore_ , he said weakly. Krystal noticed that whatever brain patterns the vulpine had were very faint. It wouldn't be long before she lost her mental connection with him. She had to make it quick, much to her discontent.

"Fox, I'm so sorry," cried the blue vixen.

 _It's not your fault,_ Fox replied. _If anything… I'm sorry for putting you through this… I'm sorry for not coming back home to you, and… I'm sorry I can't tell you how much I really am sorry for leaving you._

"Fox…" she whispered sorrowfully, letting more and more tears stream down her face.

 _I want you to promise me something Krys._

"Anything," she sniffed. "Anything to make you happy."

 _That's the thing… …Krys, I want you to be happy. I want you to be happy without me._

It was almost as if he was just asking to drive a dagger into her heart. "Fox, you know I can't be happy without you. I gave up my life to be with you. We were supposed to live our lives together. We were supposed to start our family Fox. Tell me how we can do that when you're gone…"

The lack of a response she got started to worry her, but right as she was going to speak again she heard Fox's faint voice in her mind.

 _You don't need me to be happy_ , he thought sincerely, the smallest trace of a tear leaving his unresponsive body. _But_ **_I_** _need_ _ **you**_ _to be happy. Please. I don't want your life to be miserable because I'm not there by your side. I'll always be with you Krystal, but the only way I can is if you let me go._

Krystal shook her head in disbelief and started crying again. "I don't want to let you go Fox," argued the vixen. "I love you too much to let you go!"

 _I love you too Krystal… …which is why I need you to keep my promise. I can stay with you if you keep that promise. Just stay happy._

Krystal nearly burst into tears again. "Fox if this is some kind of sick dream please wake me up from it! This is a nightmare Fox! I don't want to live without you! I can't! I just can't Fox!"

 _Yes you can,_ he thought back confidently, trying to be reassuring with what little mental strength he had. _I believe in you baby. You can do anything as long as you put your heart to it. Trust me._

Krystal sucked her lips into her muzzle and let a shaky sigh out of her lungs. "Will you always be with me?" she asked pitifully.

 _Of course. I'll always be with you, just so long as you are always with me. I'll never forget you, but you have to promise me the same._

"I will," she squeaked, her first genuine smile surfacing. "Thank you Fox."

 _No, thank you Krystal_ , he thought back extremely faintly. _Thank you for making my life the best it could have ever been. I tried to do the same to you, but unfortunately that was cut short. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you longer._

Krystal couldn't help but let the waterfall of emotions continue. "I love you Fox. I'll never forget you. Ever."

Krystal's heart melted when the faintest trace of a grin found its way on Fox's muzzle.

 _I guess this is goodbye…_

Krystal sniffed and let even more tears flow. "Goodbye Fox," she silently squeaked out. "Thank you for everything. I'll miss you so much."

 _I will too_ , he responded, then used the rest of his strength to let five words out of his muzzle.

"I… love… you... …I'm… …sorry..."

Krystal let those words wash over her ears and more tears cascaded down her eyes, listening intently to Fox's mind. Within moments, she didn't have even the slightest bit of brain patterns from him, or even the slightest bit of a pulse.

Fox was gone.

Again, she burst into tears and embraced the lifeless vulpine tightly, never wanting to let go. His warmth slowly faded away into nothing while the blue vixen just let her emotions dump out of her eyes.

"I'll keep your promise Fox," whispered Krystal almost silently. "I'll never forget you."

She leaned over and planted one last kiss on Fox's forehead, another tear dropping from her jaw and onto his cheek.

"Ever."

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 **SHEPPARD'S REVIEW: Oh my god. Oh. My. God. Dude. DUDE. Why? Why you do this to me? I didn't ask for these feels dammit!**

 **I don't know where the hell you're going with this, but this is amazing. I haven't cried this much since K.S. Reynard's _"_ _6:_ 23". I can't wait to see this continued.**

 **To everyone: please drop a review on this. It deserves the publicity. Thanks in advance fellas.**

 **-Sheppard**


	2. Chapter II

_A/N: Hey guys, I'm back again. Surprisingly, I didn't have very much trouble writing this. Turns out when you actually have a plan for how you want the story to unfold, writing it becomes a lot easier. I can't say updates to this story will be as frequent as this, but just know that I have a plan for this story and it will get written in due time.  
_

 _Regardless, as usual, everyone's feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm trying to prove to Shep that I can hold my own on this site, and the only way to prove it to him is if everyone drops some form of feedback, whether it be a review or just a follow. I've already heard from a few people that this kind of heart-wrenching story is not their cup of tea, but trust me; it gets much better. It won't be all sob stories and me trying to sap feels for ten chapters. I'll try and keep this interesting._

 _I'll leave you fellas at that. Hope you enjoy the update, and again, I eagerly anticipate your feedback. This is Haygood signing off._

* * *

 **Chapter II: The Service**

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It was all over the news.

It was on everyone's mind.

It was the most shocking and unexpected event in a long time; trumping even the Lylat Wars and the Aparoid threat. Nobody saw it coming at all.

 **"Fox McCloud—Leader of Star Fox and Hero of the Lylat Wars—Dead at the Hands of an Unknown Assassin"**

The day following Fox's untimely departure from the physical world, Corneria fell silent. Not just Corneria City, but Corneria as a whole. Everyone was devastated at the loss of their hero; their idol. Everyone of all age looked up to Fox as Corneria's model citizen—a hardworking, dedicated young man that would put everything on the line to fight for his home. Now, everyone mourned his death.

Especially Krystal.

She didn't just mourn, she _grieved_. She _wept_. She was downright inconsolable.

And then the funeral service happened two days later.

The somber air inside the funeral home plagued everything with its thick, unavoidable haze. Even the cheeriest and happiest of people were reduced to tears as they mourned the loss of the greatest mercenary Lylat has ever known. Hundreds gathered in formal apparel, exchanging words with each other as they waited for the service itself to start.

The sea of chairs split down the middle for an appropriate alleyway between two distinct sections, as walking straight down the middle would have one come face to face with Fox's closed dark oak casket. In the seat closest to the isle on the left side of Fox's casket sat an emotionally broken Krystal, avoiding any and all social contact for the entire duration of the pre-funeral conversations. Everyone who tried to approach her was given the cold shoulder, at it got to a point where Falco had to tell everyone to give her some space.

Speaking of Falco, he was the first one to approach the podium off to the right of the "stage" once everyone had found their seat. The first row was reserved for Fox's closest friends, consisting of Krystal, Falco, Peppy, Slippy, Bill, and a few others from the academy. Even General Pepper found time to attend his greatest mercenary's funeral. They all sat and listened intently as Falco tapped the microphone with a feathered digit to see if it was on before speaking.

"I never thought I'd have to be up here to be frankly honest with you," the avian started, faltering slightly in his voice. "I mean… I don't think any of you thought you'd be here in these circumstances…"

Much to the audience's surprise, Falco unexpectedly slammed his arm on the podium in a fit of grief. "It sucks, alright? Plain and simple. It… it freakin' sucks… He didn't… …Fox, he… he didn't deserve this…"

He rested his elbow on the surface available to him and covered his emotional face with his hand to try and hide his evidently sorrowful expression. "I'm sorry guys, but… …I'm really upset if you couldn't tell… We may have fought a lot in our days, but Fox was my best friend. Hell, he was the only friend I actually had. He taught me a lot, trained me, fought with me, and did everything I loved to do with me. Not necessarily because I wanted him to, but because _he_ wanted to."

He paused momentarily to dry a stray tear, and after staring at Fox's casket with watery eyes he sighed and let his head hang. "I… I don't know what else to say… …I never thought I'd have to give a speech like this, so I really didn't have anything planned… But… if there's one thing I want to say, it's this…"

Once more, the avian paused to clear up a bit of emotions, then spoke up in such a terribly shaky voice that it was a wonder on how he wasn't breaking down in tears just yet. "Fox put us before himself every minute of every day. He was a selfless individual that wanted nothing more than to succeed. He did, and… …this is how he's rewarded… …Again, it sucks…"

Falco choked on a sob as he glanced up at the ceiling. "Foxie, if you're listening to us, just know that this isn't the end. This will never be the end. You may be gone from our everyday lives, but never will you fade from our hearts. I know I can speak for everyone here… when…" he had to pause again to wipe his eyes on his sleeve. "When I say we'll all miss you very much…"

Falco again sobbed and ducked his head down on the podium, hiding his face from everyone in the audience. "I can't do this anymore," mumbled the avian. "Peppy, get up here and finish for me. I… I just can't."

Peppy rose to his feet and walked up to behind the crying avian, patting and rubbing his back in reassurance. Slowly, the hare helped Falco to his seat next to Krystal, and once he was in a sitting position he crumpled up into his knees and uncharacteristically cried without limits. Krystal, overcome with emotions due to Falco's explosion of thought, wrapped her arm around him and cried into his shoulder. He in response actually joined in on the consoling gesture, tightly holding the blue vixen and crying with such an intensity that it was a wonder if he had ever cried before.

Peppy sniffed and blew his nose into his handkerchief before stepping up to the podium. "Thank you Falco," he whispered into the microphone, trying to keep himself from breaking down as well. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and set it flat in front of the microphone. "Fox, being the mercenary he was, didn't know when, or how he would die, so… …he wrote these sporadically so that his friends would… have something to say in moments like this."

He sniffed yet again and cleared his throat, straightening out the paper which got picked up by the microphone. "This is from Fox himself, dated a month and a half ago. Alright… here goes… …Today, Star Fox renewed its contract with the CDF. We're now locked in direct affiliation with the CDF, accompanied with repairs, housing, and meal services complete, for the next four years. This may seem great and all, but… Truth be told I really don't want to get myself into this mess again."

"I want to settle down. I love my team, don't get me wrong, but I'm honestly burnt out. I just don't have that passion for my job anymore. I'm only doing this because my team looks up to me. I can't leave them behind so suddenly. I'm doing this for everyone else too, because they all idolize me. I can't just leave them to fend for themselves… I'm a hero in their eyes."

Peppy coughed and cleared his throat as more tears started forming. "And to Krystal," began the hare, Krystal in response removing her head from Falco's shoulder to listen intently. "I just want to tell you how happy I am to have you on the team. You never disappointed from day one, and you've quickly blossomed into the greatest pilot I've ever had the privilege to work with… Sorry Falco, she ousted you."

There was a momentary chorus of low chuckles at that remark, but the priceless image of that exchange went to Krystal, who for the first time in three full days showcased a very small grin. Albeit small, it was her first gesture of happiness since Fox was killed.

Peppy smiled at her before continuing in a particularly shaky voice. "Krystal, I just want you to know that… for a while… you were the only reason I got out of bed some days. You were the world to me. You… …were the only person…"

Peppy had to smile to keep reading the note. "You were the only person I could truly say I loved with my whole heart besides my parents… …If I never get to say it to you, just know that… I…"

Peppy glanced up at Krystal, emotional tears streaming down both of their faces. "I'll love you no matter what… …Thank you for everything Krystal."

Krystal burst into tears after Peppy finished, burying herself back into Falco's feathers once more. The audience gathered let out a chorus of soft "aww"s when Peppy finished, but when he folded up the paper all he did was fold his paws and let his head hang momentarily.

"I don't think I need to explain why Fox was practically a son to me," explained the hare, slowly lifting his eyes to the assembly. "And his, uh… his death hit me hard too. It's rough… It's a really rough time for all of us, losing a friend… a mentor… a hero… …I felt like I lost part of my family that day."

Peppy sniffed loudly, again wiping his nose on his handkerchief. "His father and I were closer than any two friends could get. When he died, it hit me hard just like today. I basically took Fox under my wing that day, and ever since then he has been nothing but exceptional. Every day he seemed to get even closer to his father's skill, and standing here today I can tell you all that he did surpass his father's ability."

Peppy could no longer contain his emotions, beginning to let tears shed down his cheeks. "But just like his father, his life was cut short. He was destined for greatness, even more so than he had already found, but… …The terrible fact of reality is that bad things happen to good people."

Taking a momentary pause, he glanced back up at the ceiling. "Falco is right… Fox will live on in our memory from now until the end of time. Someone of his caliber only comes around once in a lifetime, and he will… never be forgotten…"

Breathing heavily to try and keep his emotions under control, he shifted his stance and gave a nod to the gathering. "Thank you all for attending… if you would like, we will be holding a brief little gathering before we… …we put Fox into his final resting place…"

With that, the hundreds that gathered started filing out of the funeral home and out into their cars. While they did so, Falco, Bill, Slippy, Peppy, and a few others hauled Fox's heavy casket out into the special car that would take him out to the outskirts of the city.

Krystal followed them with an almost hollow demeanor, saying nothing and doing nothing but following along with the others. Once they slid the casket into the special precession car, Falco placed a wing over Krystal's shoulder and offered her a ride, to which she accepted with nothing more than a slight head nod.

About two thirds of the group that attended the funeral service made it a point to follow the precession out to the outskirts of Corneria City, more specifically to the Cornerian Defense Force Cemetery, where they buried any deceased members that have served Corneria in one way or another. They all exchanged more words and a few short speeches, yet Krystal still refused to speak on the matter. Eventually, with the help of Fox's closest friends, they lowered his closed casket into the hole already dug for him, then slowly filled in the rest of the hole.

One by one people payed their last respects to the vulpine before leaving the area. Eventually they had the entire hole covered up and smoothened out in front of Fox's exquisite looking tombstone, and by then there was only a handful of people left, mostly Fox's closest friends.

Yet, Krystal just stood there with a blank and sorrowful expression, staring at the headstone with such a longing that it was particularly worrisome.

Peppy eventually approached her and said, "Krys, I think it might be time to go home now. You've had a long day."

"I want to stay here," she whispered, surprisingly the first words that had left her mouth all day.

"You need your rest sweetie," Peppy continued, to which Krystal just shook her head.

"I just want to stay here for a little while longer," squeaked Krystal. "I just want to have a little time alone, okay? Just to think about everything?"

Peppy gave a slight nod and grinned. "Okay. If you need anything, just give us a call, alright?"

"I will," she replied unconvincingly. "Thank you Peppy. Thanks for doing all this for him. I'm sure he really appreciates it."

"I'm sure he did," Peppy smiled. "Take care Krystal. Stay safe."

With that, the elder hare collected both remaining members of Star Fox and drove off, leaving Krystal alone with the soft soil and Fox's headstone.

His stone was the same as his father's and mother's, whose final resting places were mere feet away from where he was laid to rest. His stone was much newer and was not weathered as much as the other two, but they all looked identical, just as identical as Fox looked to his father.

Krystal took step after slow step towards Fox's engraved stone, her boots slightly digging into the soft soil that had just been replaced moments prior. Unable to contain her sorrow anymore, she dropped to her knees and grieved at the head of Fox's grave. To think that the greatest person she had ever come to know was lying peacefully in an eternal slumber just under her feet brought even more sorrow to her mind.

After a few minutes, when the slightly chilly air and the rustling of the leaves calmed her down enough, she eventually sat with her legs crossed and her paws folded in her lap, continuously staring at that same headstone—studying every square centimeter of it.

That was when she heard a car door slam shut, and eventually the sound of crunching leaves filled her ears. She tried to peer into the mind of the person slowly approaching her, but her warning lights were lit when she couldn't break the misty shroud that encompassed this unknown person's mind. She stayed still, continuing to gaze at the soft dirt that covered her lover until the footsteps came to a stop.

The next couple seconds, aside from the rustling leaves and howling breeze, was dead silent. Krystal couldn't even hear the figure next to her breathe, but eventually she heard a sigh leave the figure's nose. The next word it said almost made her blood boil.

"Wow."

Krystal recognized the voice, but couldn't be sure of the person speaking. She glanced up slightly, seeing the rather tall figure clothed in a large black trench coat and a similarly colored fedora, completely concealing his physical features other than the tail that poked out of the long coat. However, that tail was all she needed to see to make the connection that the figure was none other than Wolf O'Donnell.

Just making that connection put a sour taste in her mouth. "What do you want?" she spat out. Wolf in reply scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Can I not pay my respects too?" he countered, not looking down from the sky.

That was not the answer Krystal was expecting in the slightest. "Well, yeah, but… why?" she questioned curiously, cocking her head slightly.

Wolf breathed through his nose and brought himself down to one knee, staring at the McCloud's headstone with his one good eye just like Krystal did moments prior. "Nobody should have to die like that. I mean… just enjoying an off-day when suddenly half of your face gets blown off… Not even _I'm_ that low of a person."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you paid someone to do it for you…" muttered the vixen sourly.

Wolf huffed and shook his head. "You think _I_ did this to him?"

Again, Krystal was shocked much to her discontent. "You didn't?"

"Hell no," Wolf nearly growled. "He may have been my rival, but paying someone else to do my work is not something I'd do. This isn't my doing."

"Then who did?" Krystal asked.

"The hell if I know," retorted the lupine, bringing himself back up to a proper standing position. "All I know is that whoever did it is a coward and needs to be put back into his place."

Man, was Krystal shocked. Usually she'd always thought of Wolf as a cheap criminal, doing whatever he could to finish a mission in his favor. The way he spoke about putting the assassin in his place was not something she'd expect him to say.

After a brief silence between the two canids, Wolf finally transitioned his gaze to Krystal, his one functioning violet eye staring directly at her. However, when it came time for him to speak, the eye contact was inadvertently broken as he stared at the soft earth.

"I'm sorry Krystal," he said in the most thoughtful and sincere voice he could muster. "I know how much he meant to you."

Krystal, although shocked at Wolf's sincerity, nodded slightly and slowly shut her eyes. "He was everything to me," added the vixen, trying her best not to start crying again. "I still can't believe he's gone."

Wolf curled his lips into his muzzle and nodded truthfully. "To be honest… neither can I… …I never thought anything could kill that son of a bitch; and I mean that in the most respectful way."

"Sure," Krystal muttered unconvincingly.

"I'm being brutally honest with you Krystal," deadpanned the wolf, glancing up at the slightly cloudy sky once more. "If you don't want my reassurance you can just say so."

Krystal stayed silent, hoping that would drive the lupine away.

"I know where you are right now Krys," continued the lupine, tucking his paws into his coat. "Believe me. I've lost a lot in my life. But… one thing I never lost was who I was. …And I know you're the same way. You won't drop everything just because one bad thing happened to you. You find a way to overcome it."

Wolf transitioned his look back to the vixen, showcasing a small smirk as well. "And I also know that you won't turn down advice, especially in a time of need such as now."

"I don't need it," Krystal interrupted. "I just want to be left alone."

"And I don't need your silly telepathy to know that you lie worse than Falco trying to talk about his sexual disposition," Wolf countered, smugly smiling to himself.

Krystal growled impatiently and sprang to her feet. "I told you I don't need your help," she stated firmly, curling her eyebrows downward as she almost butted muzzles with Wolf. "Just leave me alone, alright?"

"I most certainly will not," retorted the lupine. "I came here to pay my respects to my old rival, and since you're here I guess I can check two things off my list to do and offer to take you out for a drink. Ya know, to get your mind off of all of this."

Despite the tempting nature of Wolf's offer, she truthfully had to decline. "Sorry, but I'm not interested. I don't drink."

"You don't have to," Wolf explained softly. "All I want is someone to talk to, okay? That's all I want. Nobody else in their right mind would. I just need someone to talk to, just to get my own mind off of all this too."

Krystal momentarily hesitated.

"I'm upset too Krystal," the lupine commented. "You may not know it, but I'm upset Fox is gone too. I just… …I need someone to talk to. That's all I want."

The blue vixen glanced at the soft soil covering Fox's dark oak casket, then eventually sighed and said, "Fine. This better not be one of your stupid tricks."

Wolf shook his head, his expression slightly brighter and happier. "I promise. Thanks Krys. Really means a lot to me."

"Whatever," mumbled the vixen, glancing back at the lupine. "Just for an hour or two, deal?"

"That's all I need," the lupine affirmed, turning around to walk back to his car. He took a few steps forward, then cranked his head around to the vixen who had started staring back at Fox's gravesite. "Well, what are you waiting for? C'mon, we're burning time."

Krystal gave him a particularly negative scowl which fell upon the back of the lupine's head when he turned back around and trotted back to his car. Krystal again took a moment to glance back at the headstone, then after a brief little sigh of confliction she placed a paw over the stone.

"Wish me luck Fox."

* * *

 **SHEPPARD'S REVIEW: Oh boy, just keep slapping me with feels. That Falco scene though; you really gotta feel for him. Nobody really covers how much Fox means to each of his teammates. You've captured that image very well, while also getting me to shed a few "manly" tears.**

 **Well, Wolf decides to pay his respects too? That's nice. I'm very intrigued on how this supposed "drink" will go. Don't leave me in suspense too much bud; I must know more!**

 **Keep dropping reviews on this fellas; this is starting to get good.**

 **-Sheppard**


	3. Chapter III

_A/N: Hi guys, I'm back with another chapter. Sorry this one took me so long; I've been busy for a while and really didn't have time to work on this. However, I still got it out, even if it is really late where I am._

 _So, in regards to this story, I'm so glad you guys are liking it so far. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to put it on hold for a little bit (probably won't be as long as the wait for this chapter) because I am currently working on WhiteWolf's wedding gift. If you guys don't know who he is, he's one of Shep's co-writers of Veria and Recon, and hes getting married in a few days. Being the nice person I am, I let him know I would write him a story (may get published here just for fun) since it was the least I could do for him. I mean, he's getting married! That's amazing!_

 _Tangent aside, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Things are starting to fall into place, and take fall very seriously here. I'd love to hear you guys' feedback on this chapter, so please don't be afraid to leave a review. I'll be awaiting your feedback. And, this time I promise to reply to any and all reviews. I've been really bad with that lately, but I'll try to get into the habit of doing so._

 _Lastly, I was listening to a cover of "With Any Sort of Certainty" by Toh Kay while working on the majority of this chapter. I highly suggest you listen to that song either after reading or during your reading of this chapter. It's a very emotional song, and it really fits this chapter really well. _

_Alright, I'm done now. Please, please, please leave reviews; I really want to hear from you guys. This is Haygood signing off - hope you fellas have a good day/night._

* * *

 **Chapter III: Reminiscing**

* * *

A quick, ten or so minute drive spent in silence came to an end as Wolf pulled into an open parking space adjacent from a bar Krystal immediately recognized. _S.H.I.E.L.D._ —a hub for mercenaries and former CDF pilots and soldiers—was often a gathering place for Star Fox members in their downtime. Usually it was always packed with faces Krystal could recognize, but this time there were only four or five people all sharing somber and sympathetic looks as Krystal stepped into the faded, dull light over the long, weathered bar counter.

Wolf trotted up to the bartender, gave him a silent nod which prompted him to search for a specific bottle lined up on the back wall, then turned to face the vixen and patted an empty stool. "Sit."

Krystal reluctantly obliged as she slipped into the stool, her cuffed, bushy tail barely brushing against the hardwood floor. Wolf wasted no time in slipping into the seat next to her and immediately rested his burly, gray furred arms on the counter.

The bartender—a golden furred dingo wearing a white dress shirt and a black bowtie—walked up to wolf with two glasses and a smooth, cylindrical bottle. "It's good to see you again Wolf. And… Krystal? Is that really you?"

Krystal only nodded in response. Wolf gave the canine a slightly disapproving glare as he glanced over at the vixen.

"Got anything to cure heartache?" Wolf asked the bartender.

The dingo looked at the bottle in his paw, reading the words on the label, then nodded and popped the cork effortlessly. "Aged Vettel oh-four. It's a sweet wine, not too strong in alcohol."

"Two glasses if you don't mind," Wolf requested, to which the dingo filled the two glasses he had brought with him. Wolf extended his thanks and watched the canine slip away to greet another mercenary.

"I told you I didn't want any drinks," muttered the vixen, eyeing the glass of nearly clear liquid next to her arm.

"Sorry," Wolf choked out, taking a sip of his own glass. "You might like it. It's not too bad."

"I don't drink," Krystal emphasized.

Wolf stayed silent, turning to face the back wall of the bar. Out of the corner of the vixen's eye, she could almost see the emotions tumbling out of the lupine as if someone had tipped the bucket of his true feelings out onto the floor. Still, she couldn't break the barrier that kept her mind out of his. It would be much easier for her to decipher his emotions if she could skip the talking and go straight to his head. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

A few awkward minutes later, once Wolf's glass was half empty, Krystal sighed and turned her head to face him. "So, you said you wanted to talk?"

Wolf couldn't help but smirk as he shut his eye. "That's the whole reason you're here."

Krystal growled in response. "I don't need your sarcasm right now Wolf. Really. I don't."

Letting a sigh leave his nose, Wolf drooped his ears and seemingly melted into his seat. "Right. Sorry."

"It's okay," Krystal mindlessly replied. She looked over at Wolf when he didn't respond, and when she did she felt her heart strings get pulled a little bit. It honestly looked as though the giant lupine covered in battle scars and worn out clothes found himself stuck on his words. It was obvious he wanted to talk, judging by how his nose twitched and his tail flicked around, but even after two minutes or so of silence, he couldn't muster the strength to speak.

It felt awkward. He felt so confident in asking her to grab a drink and talk, but it honestly seemed like he wasn't expecting her to accept. He had nothing. Nothing to say, and no courage to back up anything he felt like saying. Krys, she felt embarrassed to say the least. Just her presence made the strong, fearless leader of Star Wolf freeze up like a lake in the winter.

Then again, she felt compelled to speak as well, but the awkwardness of the situation made her words stick to her vocal chords. They didn't want to be spoken either. Two people, only with the comfort of each other and the drinks lining their table were reduced to gazing around the dimly lit, run-down bar as if that were to solve their tentativeness to communicate. Even the bartender took notice of the duo that looked as though they were trying to ignore the situation entirely. He just stood on the opposite end of the long bar counter, polishing a mug with a blue rag as he confusedly stared at the two canids.

The longer she sat in silence, the more compelled she was to take a sip of the drink the short, handsome looking dingo poured for her at Wolf's request. Although she was not a big drinker and absolutely despised the taste of alcohol, maybe the drink would indeed cheer her up. Hesitantly reaching out, she grabbed the light glass with three fingers—her thumb, index, and middle respectfully—and rose the glass to her muzzle. Taking a slight sip, she realized that the alcohol wasn't prolific at all, and the taste was absolutely divine. It tasted like strawberries mixed in with other indistinguishable fruits; something that she immediately fell in love with.

That little burst of happiness coming from the drink actually translated to her ability to speak. When she set the glass down, she glanced to her left and saw Wolf absentmindedly staring at the floor behind the counter. If he wasn't going to speak, someone had to.

"Hey, uh…" Krystal started softly, making the wolf's ears perk up. "T-thanks for the, uh… invite, I guess."

Wolf cocked his head curiously at her.

"I mean, for the drink and all," she explained, pawing at her bangs slightly. "I guess I did need to get away from it all."

Wolf's eyebrows raised slightly in realization. "Oh, uh, of course," he practically stuttered. "I mean, uh… It-it was the least I could do."

Krystal smiled weakly, wiping at the condensation on her glass. "And this is pretty good too, for someone who doesn't like drinks. Thanks for this."

"You're welcome," answered Wolf quietly, gently looking towards the floor. "It was something I'd always get my ex-girlfriend when we went out. She loved the taste."

Krystal nodded in response to the latter, but for the lupine's first remark she became intrigued. Turning to face the burly wolf, Krystal pressed, "Who was your ex?"

A small scowl creased his bearded muzzle. "I… I really don't want to talk about it."

A look of concern washed over the vixen's face. She managed to scoot closer without falling out of her stool and said, "You said you wanted to talk. I'm listening."

"I said I don't want to talk about _that_ ," Wolf grunted adamantly, taking another swig of his alcohol. Krystal's ears perked down as she scooted back away and assumed her usual stance on the stool.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wolf looked as though he stifled a sniffle as he glanced back at the cobalt vixen. "Sorry."

Krystal, this time, refused to acknowledge him.

"I hate talking about my personal life," continued the obviously flustered and emotionally conflicted Wolf. "There's nothing good that comes out of it."

Krystal narrowed her eyes. "Nothing at all?"

Wolf, reluctant to explain, huffed and crossed his arms. "Nothin'."

"There has to be at least something you're proud of," pressed the vixen. "Accomplishments? Friends? Anything?"

"I told you I don't want to talk about it," Wolf answered gruffly, curling his bushy eyebrows downward.

"Okay," the Cerinian nearly whimpered. "Sorry I bugged you."

"Happens," was all Wolf said.

Krystal took another sip of the drink, making the tips of her ears and tail tingle inadvertently. When she set the glass down, Wolf was right there to speak.

"Thought you didn't like alcohol though," commented the lupine.

"I can barely taste it," Krystal corrected him.

"Told ya," Wolf remarked under his breath.

"I thought it would have had more than that, thank you," retorted Krystal, a little peeved with the lupine's self-assurance.

Wolf's expression seemed to drop. "Sorry."

"And why are you saying _sorry_ so much?" continued the angered vixen, her voice rising steadily along with her temper. "What is the deal Wolf? You beg me to get a drink and talk with you here, and now that we _are_ here you don't say anything?"

Wolf uncharacteristically started widening his eyes in shook as his ears folded back against his head.

"Answer me Wolf, what do you want?"

"I'm sorry, is there a problem here?" the bartending dingo asked concernedly.

"No, we're fine," Krystal answered in a calmer voice, meriting the dingo to nod and back away. She then turned back to Wolf who—although it looked rather humorous—appeared as though he was about to cry. "What is it you want from me?"

Wolf wiped his good eye and turned to face the wall. "I just wanted some company," he choked out, resting his elbows on the bar counter. "You're not the only one that's going through hell with this whole ordeal."

"What, with Fox?" she asked confusedly.

Wolf nodded. "You don't understand what the full implications of his death are, Krys," he sighed, gently pivoting his muzzle to face her. "I've got nothing anymore. Nothing."

Krystal slightly bared her teeth. "How do you think I feel?"

"I understand," the wolf answered softly. "But it's not just that, Krys. There's a lot more that you don't know."

"Then talk," she huffed. "I didn't come here to sit around."

"Fox, he… may have been my main competition, and I may have been hired to kill him once or twice but…" he trailed off, glancing at the ceiling fan slowly turning with the breeze slipping in through the open window. "I could never kill him personally. It… I… I couldn't do it."

Krystal's expression turned curious. "But… why?"

Wolf exhaled a long breath that she thought would last forever. "Not to be rude or anything, but my main source of income was to fight him. I get upgrades and improvements because I am under contract to take him down. The longer he stayed alive—in the long run—the more money I'd get."

The vixen started scowling at him. "How could you be so greedy? You harassed him just to increase your pay?"

"You should be thankful that I kept him alive for as long as I did," growled Wolf. "I lost count of how many times that I could have personally taken him down myself."

"But you didn't," Krystal added, trying to egg the lupine on. "And now you waited too long."

"Do you really think I was actually going to go through with killing him?" Wolf questioned harshly. "I'm not heartless for god's sake. I know what's right and wrong… sometimes… Okay, maybe I can be a little heartless every once in a while, but at least I had a heart to keep him alive."

"What about now?" prodded the cobalt vixen, her tail swishing against the floor.

"What _about_ now?" repeated Wolf, a slight sarcastic tone finding its way into his voice. "Right now, I'm not worried about now… I'm worried about the future. Fox was my source of competition… income… training… See what I mean, little blue? You don't understand the full implications of his death. It doesn't just affect you."

"Who said that's what I thought?" spat Krystal. "You're implying that it's only me that's suffering."

"That's not what I said," Wolf gruffly argued.

"You _implied_ it," she sneered back.

"That's not what I meant Krystal!" Wolf barked, slamming his paw against the bar counter, surprisingly not spilling the drinks lined on it. Startled, Krystal scooted back and almost fell out of her seat as her ears folded flat against her head. Wolf, slowly letting his heightened anger simmer down, let his expression fade to a blank stare as his tail just sagged against the ground.

The blue vixen started at him with a slight fear, knowing that if she got him riled up any more he'd most likely snap. Instead, all he did was let heavy breaths out of his nose to calm himself down, and when his breaths mellowed out he took a quick swig from his glass.

"Sorry."

"Stop saying that!" Krystal suddenly snapped, glaring at the lupine in a way that could probably paralyze him in fear if he wasn't a seasoned war veteran. Instead, Wolf jolted out of his seat and towered over Krystal by over a head's length.

Krystal wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "You're really pissing me off Wolf," she growled, not breaking eye contact. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You wanna know what my problem is?!" the lupine snarled irately. "My problem is I'm just as upset as you are!"

Krystal's rage immediately subsided. "Wha…?"

Wolf sat back down in his stool in a huff. "Fox dying is the worst thing that's ever happened to me," whimpered the lupine, his own anger slowly calming down. "I'm sure Fox never told you this, but he and I… we've known each other for years… The truth is… I never wanted to kill Fox when I was hired because I couldn't bring myself to kill someone of his skill. I wasn't in it for the money."

Wolf spun around so that Krystal faced his back. "I hate to admit it, but Fox was a better pilot than me. I kept him around because I strived to be as good as he was. I was jealous of his abilities. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to kill him, because if I did I could never have someone to compete against. I would never be a better pilot, and I was okay with that, but if he wasn't there I wouldn't be where I am. I'm only as good as Fox pushed me to be."

"Sounds like what Fox did to me when he was training me," Krystal remarked. "I strived to be as good as he was."

"He trained you though," Wolf corrected. "I didn't have a personal trainer."

"Fox only trained me a little bit," the vixen argued. "But still, I wouldn't be here if he wasn't… He… he was… my everything…"

Wolf noticed tears start to form. "I realize how close you two were—"

"Fox was everything to me!" shouted the vixen, again drawing more unneeded attention before letting her voice simmer down. "He… he loved me… I loved him… We wouldn't have it any other way… …Next thing I know he's gone and I can't do anything about it…"

Wolf curled his lips into his muzzle. "Krystal—"

"And you think you know how close we were?" snapped the irate vixen, her voice rising again. "You don't! You don't know the half of it! You don't know what Fox would do! What he sacrificed just to spend time with me! He practically gave his heart to me, and now _I don't know what to do with it now that he's gone_!"

Exploding into tears, Krystal laid her head into her arms on the bar counter. Wolf immediately popped off of his stool and approached her, trying his best to console her by gingerly patting her back as if she were a small child. In response, Krystal lost control of her actions and buried herself into the nearest living figure, which happened to be Wolf at the time. As soon as her head hit his chest, he nearly gasped and fought to stay upright as her subconscious outburst continued.

"I don't know what to do!" she sobbed into his faded leather jacket, tightening her arms around his waist. "What do I do Wolf? What do I do?"

"Shh," Wolf hushed her softly, regaining his composure and began to console her by gently rubbing her back. "Calm down Krys. Getting worked up won't help anything."

Krystal sobbed again and let the tears flow out of her cheeks. "I-I-I—"

"Calm down Krystal," repeated the lupine, continuing his consoling gestures. "It's okay… You'll think of something."

"But I—"

"No, no arguing little blue," Wolf interrupted, prying her face out of his jacket and gently cupping her cheek which inadvertently made the Cerinian blush purple. "I don't know what you need to do. All I know is that you can't dwell on the past or else you'll end up like me, understood?"

Krystal whimpered.

"I know it'll be hard, but you really do need to move on," Wolf said sincerely. "What do you think I did when I lost my now ex-girl? I moved on. Because if I didn't, I wouldn't be here, where I am now."

"But Fox…" whimpered the vixen again.

"I know, I miss him too," Wolf warmly stated. "But… like I said, I know it will be hard, but you need to move on. You don't have to forget him… you just need to leave him behind, okay?"

Krystal's heart nearly snapped again. "I… I don't think I can do that…"

Wolf sighed and released her face. "Just please take my advice into consideration," he stated, placing a few credits underneath his almost empty glass. "You need me to take you home?"

Krystal tentatively shook her head. "No, thanks, I-I can walk."

The gray wolf nodded. "Suit yourself," he grunted, zipping his leather jacket. He stuck his paws into his pockets and stepped around the unmoving vixen in an attempt to walk out the door. Before he grabbed the door handle, he stopped and glanced back at the cobalt vixen, letting a sigh out of his muzzle.

"Hey."

Krystal begrudgingly lifted her head up and slowly turned around to face him. Wolf obviously looked conflicted with himself, but he eventually stuffed that nervousness into the back of his mind and outstretched his arms to her. Krystal raised an eyebrow at him, only prompting him to gesture his digits towards himself and give her the 'what are you waiting for?' look. Eventually, Krystal obliged with his request and leaned into his grasp, to which he immediately tightened his arms for a proper embrace.

"Thanks for being a set of ears to talk to," said Wolf, gingerly holding the Cerinian in his arms.

"Thanks for being a shoulder to cry on, I guess," Krystal let a small giggle surface. Wolf in response chuckled himself and dropped his arms, slightly backing away from the lupine. He let a smirk surface and ran his paw over her midnight blue hair, ruffling it up in a playful manner.

"Take care of yourself Krys," Wolf said before opening the door to the bar, letting a flood of bright light wash into the room. Krystal barely had time to say goodbye before the door slammed shut with him on the opposite side.

Not knowing what else to do, Krystal trudged back to her stool and spun to face the bar wall. She looked down at her empty glass, then looked at Wolf's that had just a small amount of that sweet tasting wine still in it. Looking over both of her shoulders and seeing nobody staring at her or even paying an ounce of attention to her, she reached across and swiped the glass, then finished the rest of the wine even though it was just one little taste. Sighing in pleasure, she placed the glass back over the credits Wolf left and leaned against the counter.

Boy did she feel conflicted. Her emotions were flying all over the place and she couldn't hope to control them all at the same time. There were just too many feelings covering a broad range of emotional states that all she could do was fold up and try to think.

Wolf. Wolf… What was up with Wolf? First, he just shows up after the precession, after everyone had left, just to supposedly "pay his respects" to his rival. And then, as if it was planned, he asked her to a bar to just drink and talk. That's not a normal thing he would do. Not in the slightest.

And then the things he talked about. What in the world was he getting at? He was Wolf O'Donnell; the leader of Star Wolf; the main enemy of Star Fox. The fact that he was implying that he was just as close to Fox as _she_ was… it just couldn't be true. He was hiding something. He was hiding something that he obviously didn't want her to know.

Then again, who was she to care about his life? He obviously hated talking about his personal life, so it wasn't her business to intrude on something he wasn't willing to explain. And she didn't have anything to complain about that fact either. He didn't want to say anything, and she was okay with that. What was his personal life to her?

But, by the same token, finding out more about his personal life would maybe unlock that enigmatic personality that Wolf had developed over his lifetime. Especially how he acted minutes prior, when he was on the verge of tears talking to her, and how he literally went out of his way to console her when she reduced herself to tears once again. It went back to him obviously hiding something.

Maybe Wolf actually did hold some feelings that he wanted to let go. As in, when he wanted someone to talk to… maybe he had more he wanted to say… Maybe there was a lot more in that head she couldn't get inside that had yet to be spilled out onto the table. There was just so many unanswered questions he posed. So many intriguing things he said. He was just acting… strange. It wasn't his character to be so sentimental. He just wasn't acting himself—

Wait.

Why did she care so much about him?

Krystal let a smirk crease her muzzle. Why was she getting so worked up about someone she cared so little about? With all of the death threats, the brutal and violent exchanges her group had with his, and the controversy surrounding him and his entire team… why did she care? That's the thing, she didn't care. She didn't care one bit. She appreciated the interest Wolf took in her, but frankly she—

Wait… Wolf took interest in her.

That fact slapped her like a sack of heavy bricks. She nearly gasped aloud.

Not at the fact that Wolf seemed to take an interest in her, but…

She honestly didn't feel disgusted about it. It just… seemed natural…

But how could that feel natural? He was a heartless mercenary, with no respect for whoever he decided to attack to earn a quick buck.

Even that couldn't be true; he supposedly spared Fox many a time before.

But still, he was Wolf. An enemy to society. He and his group were wanted outlaws. He had a huge list of crimes committed, and each one was more severe than the other. He also had no intention to change his ways either. There was nothing admirable about him in the slightest.

Except for the fact that he went out of his way to console her when she was at rock bottom.

Wait, what was she thinking? Was she seriously falling for _that_? That couldn't be true. It was impossible. No way would she be falling for that criminal. It… just didn't add up. It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. It was just… just…

Just so fucked up.

Krystal clutched at her head in evident confliction. All of these thoughts—these undesirable thoughts—were making her head hurt and spin like a never-ending roller coaster. It wouldn't stop. Not even if she tried… and she was trying pretty damn hard.

The only thing she could think of to take her mind off the situation was something she promised Wolf she wouldn't do, but the last thing she wanted to do was keep Wolf's promise for fear her emotions would run haywire even more.

She was going to see Fox one more time.

And from her thoughts… the thoughts she didn't even know existed until now… she had a dreadful thought brewing in her mind. That thought only grew in intensity as she pawed at the object she swiped from Wolf's jacket during their last hug.

It would probably be her last visit.


	4. Chapter IV

_A/N: I am just on a roll lately, I just love it. Chapters are coming out really fast, and the ease of writing this is great. Shep is so jealous, I just know it. :P  
_

 _Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter, and I will admit I never realized Wolf here acted like Shep's OoC Wolf from FC and Veria. It was honestly sheer coincidence. And yes, there will be an explanation to that... soon..._

 _Hope you guys like this update... it gets really rough here, so I'd like to know what you think of it, as per usual. This is Haygood signing off._

* * *

 **Chapter IV: A Time of Need**

* * *

Corneria in the autumn-time was indeed a beautiful sight. With Corneria's increasing technological advancements, they were able to integrate brand new technology with the already breathtaking natural landscape they were given as a gift from the gods. As a result of this, nobody could go over fifty feet in any direction without running into a piece of nature, whether it be great oak trees lining the streets or flowers in the little shops' windowsills. And, being that it was mid-fall, the massive oak trees were beginning to shed their leaves in preparation for the upcoming winter season, only increasing the serene, picturesque beauty of the city.

Krystal felt cold in more ways than one. For one, the air around her felt cold, and that cold air instantly broke through her short coat of fur, being that her origin was a much more tropical planet that never experienced such a dip in temperatures. Her cobalt fur provided a lackluster buffer against the chilling, bitter air that whipped through the tall buildings, amplifying the speed of the wind as if it were in a tunnel.

To try and ease the cold, she pressed her exposed arms on her chest tightly, trying to conserve her warmth where she could. All she had on was the dress she wore from the funeral service hours prior, and that was a pathetic excuse for retaining body warmth. Just a one piece scarlet dress adorned her sapphire blue body, the pleaded extension flowing gracefully down her legs and stopping at her ankles. The dress was made of pure silk, and although it looked magnificent and luxurious, it failed in keeping warmth in her appendages.

While the multifariously colored leaves scattered haphazardly over the cement sidewalks crunched underneath the vixen's shoes, she couldn't help but make the sickening connection that the leaves crunching sounded like her heart breaking. She couldn't deny that fact that it had been crushed like a leaf that had strayed from its mother tree, finding its way into the path of an unsuspecting bystander who carelessly smashed it into the cement. Although her heart breaking wasn't that graphic, she still felt like it was.

She noticed the sidewalks were deserted. Not a single soul was with her on the somber walk back to the cemetery just a few blocks away. Her sullen, sulky walking would have concerned even the most careless of people, knowing that if someone walked in that somber of an attitude would have deep problems brewing within them. It looked very worrisome. The blank expression of her white furred muzzle and turquoise eyes were definitely a tip that something was askew with the vixen.

She couldn't cry anymore. She didn't have any more tears to cry. She didn't have any more sorrow to let out of her body. All she was… was a furry, hollow shell of her former self. Her kind and happy demeanor was long gone. Her loving, tender nature, and her disposition to always help a friend in need… they were nonexistent.

All she was… was a sorrowful, sad, and emotionally broken ball of cobalt blue and white fluff trudging down to the only place that could give her an ounce of comfort. She had no warmth, inside nor out. She was cold, in her heart and in her body. Every inch of her felt broken. That deep longing within her that she knew would never feel satisfied masked her usual kindness in such a way that it was a wonder if she was even the same person anymore.

On top of the sadness was an overwhelming amount of confliction. As if she needed any more confliction in her life. She was already up to the tips of her ears in sorrow and uncertainty with the love of her life sleeping peacefully underneath the earth; she didn't need any more trying to deal with _him_. If anything, _he_ was causing more problems.

She still couldn't wrap her head around what Wolf was doing at the bar, if that was even him at all. He just acted so different there. There wasn't even the slightest bit of prevalent heartlessness or ruthlessness in him during that time. He seemed more… _empathetic_. He was more understanding and more compassionate than his usual heartless counterpart only found in the skies and space. It almost felt like he had a second personality that had never shown itself before until then.

Which bring about the question Krystal desperately searched an answer for. _Why_?

There was no reason for him to act so… _friendly_ at the bar. Knowing his reputation, his background, and the regime he associated himself with on a daily basis, there was absolutely no reason for him to have the character to comfort a hurt soul. Especially a soul that had been a long-time enemy for years. Krystal wasn't his friend. He sure as hell wasn't her friend either. But, there was just a sense of a deep, hidden friendship between the both of them that only surfaced in times of great tragedy such as now.

But where did it even start? There wasn't a specific start point for their so-called friendship that had been supposedly under wraps for an indeterminate amount of time. They had always been at each other's throats. Every one of her recollections of their exchanges were never positive ones in the slightest. In fact, most of them resulted in injuries. Hell, she still had a scar on the side of her thigh where Wolf had taken a shot at her fighter and melted an insulating plate in such a way that it burned her leg. If they had been even the slightest bit friendly towards each other before, he would have at least apologized. Alas, there was none, and such was their relationship as well. There was nothing there.

All it felt like was seething animosity between them up until the invitation to the bar. Right up until Wolf started acting strange. Well, strange to her at least.

And then as if she couldn't feel any worse, she too started feeling strange ever since he left. Not in a bad way to an ordinary person, but to her it was an absolute nightmare. Something she thought she'd never have to deal with in her lifetime. She just felt that tug in her broken heart. That tug wanted to bring all of the pieces together so that she could use her heart again for someone else. That thought in and of itself made her want to vomit.

She couldn't believe what she was feeling. At first it felt so foreign; the presence of a compelling, _loving_ desire so strong that she couldn't stop thinking about it. She didn't know what to make of it at first. And then it hit her as if someone slapped her across the face. It was the same feeling she held for Fox when they first met. And if consistency was a thing that existed, or if she at lease believed in it, the more she tried to withhold that feeling and pretend it didn't exist, the stronger it would get.

But for Wolf? For _him_? She couldn't let it surface. No way would she admit to that. _She'd rather be caught dead than with him._ She didn't want to fess up to something so humiliating. She wouldn't, and couldn't live with it. She'd consider herself a traitor to her one true love. She still loved him, even if he was underground and unable to return the affection. She couldn't drop him just like that, for someone so… so evil.

By the same token, however, what would happen if she withheld that desire for affection like she did with Fox many years back? Would it grow just like the first time? Would it grow so large that her heart couldn't take the pressure of withholding something of that nature and just explode out of her like a waterfall of emotions? She didn't know. All she knew was that she made the mistake of holding it back from Fox, but this time it wouldn't be a mistake withholding it. She never wanted it to even see the light of day.

The more she thought, the more she felt sick. The more she just wanted to just drop everything and live a life of utter solitude away from her emotions and away from everything else that troubled her to no end. She wanted the ill feelings to stop. She wanted the unwanted desires to leave her mind for good. She just wanted to feel like everything would be okay in the long run, and that she didn't have to worry. However, that was not the case. She had a lot on her mind stressing her out.

She didn't know. She didn't want to argue with her conscience—the conscience of holding feelings towards someone she wished she didn't—but by the same card there wasn't anything she could do. Her conscience had never been wrong before. She always had that sharp mind that would steer her away from trouble and lead her in the right direction, but this time was an exception. It seemed as though her mind was leading her somewhere she thought would not benefit her in the slightest. She didn't want to agree with her mind this time around.

And the more she thought about it didn't help her at all. The more she thought, the more compelling another relationship with another man sounded. The more this strange, unlikely, multifaceted relationship sounded… okay to her. As time went on, and as she slowly trudged along the sidewalks, destroying the colored leaves scattered about the ground beneath her feet, the more she was losing her internal fight to move on and say no. She couldn't say no anymore. Her conscience wouldn't let he say no.

If—and that is a massive _if_ —Wolf's personality conversion was true, as in his behavior at the bar was not just a coincidental string of events, it didn't seem bad at first glance. He went out of his way to talk to her, buy her a drink, and most of all, be a shoulder for her to cry into. The fact that he put himself in the open with his long-winded criminal record was a sign of something much deeper. He put himself in danger of being arrested—and possibly executed with his crimes—just to cheer her up and to console her when she was at the lowest of lows.

If Wolf did indeed undergo a complete flip in personality just to get Krystal to smile again… wow, what a turn of events that would be. There was no way he would change his entire personality for just a brief period of time, just to be an understanding and consoling figure for Krystal to go to in her time of need. If it was, and her whole "doubting his conversion" basis fell on unstable grounds, her hesitance would definitely be strained. What would she do?

Now that she put some context on it, Wolf had indeed changed. No way would he act like that just for one moment. It would hurt him too much to act like that just once. He had a gentle side—evident with his little slip up of his ex-girlfriend—that had not been used for a very, very long time. That gentle side came out with her for reasons she only hoped she would get answers for. Truth be told, she felt conflicted thinking about what his supposed conversion was for, and what she felt about them in general.

On one hand—er, paw—Wolf showcased a few qualities of the late Fox McCloud she had always found admirable in him in just the few short minutes they shared in each other's company. He had that understanding… that sense of apologetics… that compassion… that… loving, tender side behind a mask of dedication and seriousness that was obligatory for a fighter pilot such as the both of them. He just had a soft, sensitive side of him that she—in all honesty—had never seen before besides from Fox himself.

On the other, maybe it was just an elaborate ruse. Wolf had the reputation to exploit people, whether it be for money or a chance to get some tail in the female's cases. Since Fox was gone, she didn't have anyone to protect her. Wolf might have put on that compassionate mask just to get her to soften up, and eventually would lead into him getting in her pants. He had that reputation, and it was more in his character to do so.

However, the latter didn't answer as many questions as the first one did. Wolf himself said he had a heart sometimes. Again, he went out of his way to help her out of a depression she thought would never end. If he was trying to sleep with her, he'd be more adamant and more forceful with trying to cheer her up. He looked lost and afraid at the bar. No way would someone in that situation want to eventually get into her pants acting like that. There was something deeper that she wasn't understanding, and the more she thought, the more that feeling she wanted pushed into the back of her mind tried to surface.

Wolf showed _genuine_ compassion to her. His emotions and thoughts were as genuine as they could ever be. And Krystal didn't know how to respond to them. She didn't want to turn down his consolations—she had to admit she did feel a little better about her situation afterward—but at the same time she just wanted him to leave her alone. She didn't want to put up with him. Not yet, that is. Not when she still had to suffer through the first week of losing a lover so suddenly and abruptly. Not when she didn't have any feelings to give out anymore.

She looked up from the leaf-covered ground, and was almost startled to see the entrance of the cemetery staring her down. She took the subtle breeze blowing through the gates as a warm welcoming, and with a long, painful sigh, she stepped underneath the arch and continued down the cobblestone pathways.

As the tens and tens of multicolored trees surrounding her slowly passed her by, she suddenly made an abrupt left turn and slowly trudged through the short, leafy grass and up to Fox's headstone—the dirt still fresh underneath her feet.

For a while all she did was stare at the engraving. The words etched onto the stone flowed in such a brilliant way that it looked exquisite compared to the other stones surrounding him, but that did little to ease her sadness. She still could never see him again.

In that moment she forgot her surroundings. She forgot she was cold. She forgot she had fallen to her knees in grief. All she could remember was her overwhelming despair and unbounded hopelessness. How she felt so lost without him. She didn't know what to do without him at her side. He would always come through for her and help her in times of need. Now, in her moment of the most need, he was nowhere to be found.

She started feeling angry now. She needed him more than ever, and it felt like he had abandoned her. Obviously he didn't, but the fact that he just without warning continued on to his next life made her feel absolutely awful. He wanted him to stay. He wanted him to come back and tell her there was no need to cry. If he couldn't…

Krystal winced in pain when her paws clenched. She forgot she still had it.

She slowly opened her paw, revealing Wolf's signature jagged blade, already dyed red from piercing her skin slightly. She stared at it as if it would give her answers to her troubles, the blood on her hand slowly rolling down the jagged piece of metal all the way down to the hilt before sliding down the sharpest points and finally dropping to the soft earth. Eventually the drops started to slow, but that was more due to the cold temperatures rather than her own efforts to stop it.

As if on cue, the hopelessness exponentiated as she examined the blade, studying every inch of its smooth, stainless contours. How easy it must have been for him to use such a lethal weapon. He could easily terminate someone's existence with one well-placed jab or swing. It seemed as though it could cut through air, sound, and light itself with how sharp and lightweight it felt. He might have not even noticed it was gone with how light it was in her paw…

That same blade was the coin she had to toss.

Heads or tails?

She studied it again. The more she stared, the easier it looked to use it and be done with everything. Abandon the hopelessness. Leave the tension and uncertainty behind. Finally find a place she felt worthwhile and… happy in… …It was only what Fox wanted… her to be happy.

She stopped. Was this what he meant? Fox told her to be happy. Was this his intentions? Did he want her to give up her physical being to be happy with him in a different life, or did he mean it in a way that wouldn't cost her everything? Then again, Fox was everything to her. She lost him already. She did feel like she was nothing at this point.

By the same card… would Fox be angry with her? He loved her as much as she did to him, but was it worth risking everything to join back with him? Wolf Fox approve of what he always considered a coward's way out? Even if it was her, there was no way he could be happy. He wanted her to be happy though, and the only thing that would make her truly happy was to completely give up all she had to be with him for the rest of eternity. She really liked the sound of that. No one else to get in the way of their love again. Fox couldn't be upset about that… …could he?

Krystal adjusted her hold, then stared at the gash she inadvertently cut across her palm. It stung when the wind whipped across the open wound, causing more blood to roll out of the slowly healing cut and drip down to the ground. Just one little cut across her hand caused so much blood to flow out, dying her fur in some places. If so much came out with an inadvertent cut… just imagine what it would look like if it had been intentional…

For the first time in a long time, she spoke as she held the blade by the hilt and stared at it, her voice trembling from uncertainty and nervousness.

"Fox… is this what you want from me?" she whispered, the tears beginning to roll out of the wells in her eyes. "You want me to be happy… Seeing you again will make me happy… Is… is this… what you're calling me to do?"

It couldn't be true. Fox would never say that. But why did it feel so right? So tempting? Why did he tempt her so much if he loved her with his entire heart?

"Stop tempting me Fox," she cried softly, threatening to snap the hilt under the pressure of her paw. "Just stop it, please! If this is what you want from me just say it!"

To her dismay, the dirt didn't call her name back. She sat in silence with her tears and the wind to keep her company. She… couldn't take it anymore.

To think she was only a few steps away from the edge, thinking about the most horrifying and awful things and actually taking them into consideration. To think she had her life right there. She could join Fox or she could live with her never-ending sadness and cry herself to death without someone else to keep her warm at night.

One option felt so strong and so right for her mind, but at the same time it would cost her everything she had come to know and love. The life she had grown and nurtured ever since she was just a kit back on her homeworld. All of the things she had genuinely come to enjoy. Nature, the people, the wonderful events that she could only experience once in a lifetime… They were all here. But Fox was somewhere else, and who knows what was with him?

All she knew was that she could sacrifice it all. He mattered more. She didn't want to live another day without him at her side, telling her how much he loved her and how much he truly cared. She missed that side of him. She wanted to hear his voice again. She wanted to be in his presence again.

 _She'd rather be caught dead than with someone else._

"Don't worry Fox," she whispered in a horribly shattered voice, almost inaudible with the rustling of the leaves surrounding her. "I'm on my way home."

The blue vixen brought the blade upward, and with one last cry and countless tears covering her eyes, she swung down, only for her swinging arm to spontaneously go unresponsive. Then, that same arm had a jolt of pain course through it, making the knife fall to the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Startled, Krystal yanked her arm free and tumbled onto her back, but when she looked up, pure terror washed into her like a broken levee.

"Wolf?!"

The seething lupine only snarled in response. "Answer me!" he barked firmly, making Krystal curl up in defense. "What were you doing?!"

Krystal whimpered when she took a glance to the knife buried in the grass. "Wolf, I-I-I-I can explain! I was—"

"Trying to kill yourself?" growled the wolf, fishing the jagged knife out of the pile of leaves. When he noticed the stains of blood on the blade, his anger skyrocketed. "What the fuck were you thinking?!"

Krystal started crying softly. "I… How did you know?"

"You swiped my blade; did you think I wouldn't notice?" the angry wolf questioned harshly. "Krystal, get up and answer me," he commanded, pointing at the ground in front of his boots. "Now."

Tentatively, Krystal obliged with his demands and slowly rose to her feet, still refusing to make eye contact with his one functioning violet eye. Wolf grabbed the wrist that connected to her injured paw roughly, staring at the gash torn across the delicate skin and fur.

"Oh my god," exclaimed Wolf, his eye widening. "Krystal, you… what is wrong with you?"

"Wolf—"

"Have you gone mad?" he questioned.

"No, Wolf, I was…" she trailed off momentarily, then finally found the courage to look up at him. His eye that she thought she'd be able to see the anger seething through it didn't have a trace of visible rage. Instead, she could practically see the concern in it. All she could see was an overwhelming amount of compassion and longing to help screaming from his functioning violet eye.

She melted right then and there, bursting into tears as she lunged forward and into the unsuspecting lupine's chest. Wolf stumbled back a bit like he did before, confused at the little vixen's actions and mentality, but the last thing he wanted to tell her was to get off. She obviously looked lost and broken. She needed the comfort.

Gingerly, Wolf freed his arms and gently pulled the emotionally broken cobalt vixen deeper into his embrace. The tears continued to stream down her cheeks and into his jacket as more and more sobs left her muzzle. Wolf started rubbing the exposed portions of her back to try to calm her down, and it seemed to be working judging by how her cries of sadness started to simmer down to pitiful whimpers.

The poor vixen couldn't bring herself to speak. She let her actions do the talking by refusing to let go of the lupine that had offered her consolation two times now. All of her past doubts—the hesitance she had with him at first and her reluctance to accept her true feelings—were long gone now. She knew now that it was true. He really was going out of his way to comfort her. Most of all, she realized that she couldn't fight it in the slightest. She didn't even mentally argue with herself either. She couldn't. She had no basis to argue against it.

She subconsciously tightened her hold on him and started shivering when the cold came back fiercer than ever. Wolf noticed her body temperature and her shivering, so after gently pushing her off he immediately removed his leather jacket and started slipping the sleeves around her arms.

"You need this more than I do," he said, pulling the collar up to her neck and zipping the jacket into place. His jacket was easily five sizes too big judging by how it flooded on her thin, tiny frame, but she didn't complain. She was already starting to feel warmer with how insulating the jacket was and how there was already a lot of Wolf's body heat flowing inside it. Slowly, her shivering started to subside.

Wolf forced out a weak grin. "You okay?"

Although she could easily say yes and walk away, she didn't want to lie to him, especially now. She shook her head in negativity and sniffled. "I… just d-don't know w-what to do… w-w-without him."

Wolf gently placed a paw on her shoulder, surprisingly not setting off warning lights in her mind. "You're really taking this hard, aren't you?"

The vixen nodded. "He… he knew what to do… and I just followed… …I don't know what to do now that he's gone…"

Wolf quietly hushed her, using his clawed thumb to wipe away some tears that had accumulated on her face that she wasn't removing herself. She, as a result, started blushing purple as she glanced up at Wolf's non-hostility filled expression, something she had never seen from him up until now. He was just stemming with genuine compassion… it was very heartwarming to her.

Slowly but surely, her shattered heart was starting to be pieced back together.

Wolf pulled on Krystal's injured hand and produced a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket. Without saying a word, he wrapped the cloth around the gash in her paw, then tied it in place on the back. She winced and whimpered as he tightened it, but it stayed in place once he removed his grasp. Slowly but surely, the blood started to stain the cloth, but he honestly didn't care about the stain. He just wanted her to stop bleeding everywhere.

Wolf's expression suddenly turned serious, yet empathetic as he let a breath out of his nose, slightly causing a foggy cloud with how chilly the air was. "Now do you want me to take you home?"

Krystal gently nodded her head. She looked back at Wolf's car—confused on how she didn't hear it at first—then tilted her muzzle up to him. "Can we walk?"

"But my car's right there," explained the lupine. "It'll take longer with how far away it is."

"That's what I want," the vixen said, slightly grinning at him—the first time she had smiled in a very long time. "I just want to talk a little more… …Can we?"

Wolf frowned for a second before letting his head nod forward. "Alright."

The blue vixen sighed in relief. "Thank you Wolf. I… really need someone to talk to."

"Clearly," Wolf nearly scoffed, wiping a few more stray tears away.

Krystal smiled at him again and managed to wedge herself underneath the warmth of his arm as she pointed in the direction of the home she and Fox shared. Weakly smiling back, Wolf nodded and followed her out of the cemetery, keeping his arm tightly pressed against her in an attempt to keep her warmer.


	5. Chapter V

_A/N: Wow, thanks so much for the feedback last chapter. It really does mean a lot to me. It's awesome to see you guys so interested, and it really motivates me to write. Case in point, yet another chapter done and in the books. I am great at this.  
_

 _Random note worth mentioning, yesterday Wingcommander WhiteWolf, a big partner of Sheppard, exchanged his vows. I originally had a story planned for him that day but found that this story is so much easier to write. But don't worry, his story will be finished in the near future. I did promise him a story after all. It's the least I can do for a wedding gift. :)_

 _Last point, Elarix asked why Krys was wearing red to the funeral. Here's my answer: what iconic piece of clothing does Fox have on him at all times, and what color is it? Symbolism, that's what that's called._

 _Finally, I want you guys to look at the song posted below, and by saying I want you to, I mean I really encourage you do. Seriously. I'd actually insist you guys listen to the song rather than leaving a review. Yeah, I'm that serious. I even left you a (broken) link. This song is beautiful and really does a good job at setting the mood of this chapter. Please guys, listen to the song. You can thank me later._

 _This is Haygood signing off. Listen to the song!_

* * *

 **Reset — Ayaka Hirahara** — **Ōkami End Credits  
** (https)(:)(/)(/)www(-dot-)youtube(-dot-)com(/)watch?v=6do0w2Snirc

* * *

 _If I could have just one wish  
I would like to reach across time  
If my feelings don't change  
I'll see you someday, beneath the cherry trees  
To send my deepest prayers to you  
I'll keep on singing today  
If the answers I sought are right here before me  
Please kindly let me know…_

 _…And reset the sadness within me_

* * *

 **Chapter V: Reset the Sadness**

* * *

The Lylatian sun started setting over the distant horizon hours ago, bathing the sky in various shades of warm colors as numerous as the colors dotting the trees. At the current hour, a soothing and relaxing red orange screen with pigments of a light pink covered the once blue sky, giving the area overlooking the awe-inspiring sunset that same color tinge. The sidewalks, the grass, the leaves, and the winding, shallow river that the aforementioned sidewalk followed along were not spared from that beautiful, warm orange tinge.

However, the warm color did not translate to the cool autumn air. As the sun descended, so did the temperatures, and Krystal knew it. Slowly but surely, the cold air was starting to seep through Wolf's seemingly impenetrable leather jacket. If it weren't for Wolf himself, who still stuck close to the vixen as they continued their slow walk down the winding river's banks, she would have frozen in place by now.

She looked up at him, and through the glare of the setting sun she could see how… _blank_ his expression looked. He had his eye squinted to accommodate for the sunlight, but other than that he was as blank as a clean sheet of paper. His gray fur seemed to glow with the orange tinge it had due to that sunset, but other than that, nothing was glowing on the lupine's expression. He just seemed… indifferent.

Krystal, who's fur had turned a repulsive, sickly brown as a result of that same sunset's glow, stayed in silence much to her own reluctance to do so, occasionally glancing up at the wolf who never returned the gesture. He just seemed focused and intent on staying silent, and he never let his emotions show, evident with his stoic and generic blankness in his face.

Man did he have such a personality swing in such a short amount of time. In a few short hours she had seen all three sides of the lupine when she had only seen two before. First was his ruthlessness, showcased by his adamant demands at the cemetery before her thoughts got the better of her. Second was the expression being showed now… or rather, lack thereof. Third—which was a new one to her—was his soft side, and that last one still confused her to no end.

Eventually, Krystal mustered enough courage to break the still silence between them. "Thanks."

"Hmm?" Wolf turned to face her, cocking one of his ears.

"Thanks for walking with me," continued the vixen, keeping her eyes lowered to the leaf-covered sidewalk. She gently clutched at her wrist behind her back, struggling to think of the right words to say. "I… uh… can't really come up with the words to explain how… much it means to me."

Wolf managed to cock his head even further. "Oh?"

Krystal sniffed weakly. "I never would have expected you to have been that shoulder to cry on…"

The gray wolf straightened out his neck and let a small half smirk expose some of his sharp teeth in response. "Oh… well… there's a first for everything, no?"

Confusedly, Krystal looked back up and gave him a questioning stare. "But… why though?" asked the vixen softly, trying to peer into his mind but to no avail.

Wolf shrugged. "Felt like doing my daily good deed for the day," he remarked, trying to mask his sarcasm, but Krystal new better than to accept that for a legitimate response.

"And when did you start? Today?" the vixen asked in her own sarcastic, almost taunting voice as a disapproving scowl found its way onto her muzzle. "I'm not stupid Wolf."

"You could've fooled me," Wolf remarked under his breath, only increasing the Cerinian's brewing displeasure.

"Tell me," the vixen commanded, starting to slow down as the duo approached an arched, olden-style wooden bridge that crossed the weak, narrow creek and lead towards the residential area of the city. The boards under his boots creaked as he stepped onto them, but eventually Krystal pulled him to a stop just off to the right of the highpoint of the arch. "I want to know why you're acting like this."

"Like what?" Wolf questioned confusedly. "Did I do something wrong?"

"See! Right there!" Krystal almost shouted, breaking free from the lupine's warm grasp. "Why are you acting so… _normal_?"

Wolf nearly scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Gee, thanks. Glad to know I don't fall under your _normal_ guidelines on a perfectly normal day."

"You know what I mean," the blue vixen retorted. "You know what you act like on these so-called normal days. Why are you acting different today?"

"I seriously have no idea what you're talking about," Wolf deadpanned.

"Stop playing dumb!" yipped Krystal, clenching her paws. "You… you're… you're crazy!"

"You're just now figuring that out?" commented Wolf in a snarky tone.

"Shut up! Just stop it!" she growled. "Dang it Wolf just tell me why you're acting like this!"

"What?" the lupine said in a whiny voice. "I haven't done anything dif—"

"Yes you have!" interrupted Krystal. "You… you're acting weird… you look like you're trying to help, unlike other days where you'd just ignore situations like this. You risked getting caught by the authorities just to… take me out for a drink, then you start trying to cheer me up, and now you gave me your jacket and agreed to take me home? Just what is it you want from me?"

Wolf raised an eyebrow. "Who says I wanted anything from you? I'm not trying to extort you for god's sake."

"Then _why_?" Krystal almost pleaded. "Why are you being so… _nice_ to me?"

"Krys, do you really think I would harass you today when the closest thing you had to a husband just died out of the blue like this?" questioned the lupine, trying to be as comforting as possible with his tone. "I told you, I'm still a person. I still have a heart. Harassing you _now_ would be a new low, even for me."

Realization struck Krystal like an oncoming bus. Was that all it was? Was he truly just letting up for this one day just to make sure his own conscience—if he had one—didn't hate him later on for it? It did make a lot of sense. But, it didn't explain why he offered to take her for a drink and talk. If he was just backing off, why did he go out of his way to help and console her, and moreover, why did he change his personality so much just to do so?

Krystal's mind started spinning more and more the more she thought about it. God it confused her. As if she needed enough confusion. It really was beginning to eat away at her mind knowing that there was something he was hiding and yet she couldn't get inside his own mind to figure out what it was. What was it that he thought he needed to keep from her no matter what?

She was beginning to get angry. Oh, how easy it would be to threaten him with her telepathic powers and fry his mind from the inside out, but what good would that do her? Fry his mind, and his thoughts, and moreover, his admittedly admirable qualities of consolation would be fried with it. And even at that, she couldn't get a grip on his mind to potentially turn it into pudding. As much as threatening would help her own mind, she needed him on her good side for him to spill whatever beans he was hiding.

After a momentary pause and an even briefer reflection on his words, she sighed with a visible cloud of fog and reestablished her eye contact. "Oh… well… thanks, I guess…" she muttered, her hesitance and reluctance to admit it strikingly noticeable in the lupine's eye.

Wolf cocked his ears. "Now I suppose you hate me for only caring about myself, no?"

"Why wouldn't I?" the vixen's expression changed to a more displeased and irate face, abandoning her mask of attempted concealment. "I was beginning to think you actually cared and had a working heart in that pile of fluff you call you."

Wolf narrowed his eye. "Who says I didn't?" the lupine snapped back. "And who are _you_ to claim that I don't have a heart? Good god Krystal, if I didn't have a heart I would have walked away a long time ago."

"But you didn't," countered the blue fox. "And that's what's confusing me Wolf. Why aren't you just walking away? Why do you feel the need to stick around?"

Wolf's expression dropped, as did his ears. "Harsh…" he said pitifully, letting his head sag down a few inches.

"And there's another thing that's concerning me," Krystal immediately stated, pointing at the pouting lupine. "The real Wolf I know and hate—no offense—would never let something as stupid as that get to what heart he does have."

"Oh, so now you're saying I've gone soft?" growled Wolf, trying his best to suppress his anger. "Why do you think that, miss "I'm gonna slit my damn wrists because I'm upset my mate died"? If anything you're the one that's the big baby and won't get over—"

Snarling, Krystal approached Wolf and grabbed his shirt collar—albeit it looked more humorous than intimidating considering how Krystal was a head shorter than he was and had to stand on the tips of her clawed toes to at least look the slightest bit frightening—and pushed him back against the railing of the bridge.

"You don't scare me little blue," admitted Wolf with a slight chuckle, holding his arms up above his head. "You're all bark and no bite if you ask me."

Overcome with anger, the blue vixen bared her teeth and sunk them into the closest thing she could find, which ended up being his long, bearded muzzle. When she pulled away after breaking a bit of skin underneath his fur, Wolf snarled in pain and pushed her away, catching her off balance and inadvertently making her fall onto her tail. She whimpered when she hit the hard wood, but more of it was fearful when she saw the lupine's functioning eye blazing with anger as both of his paws were applying pressure to his muzzle.

He pulled his now bloodstained paws away from his bleeding muzzle and looked down at the sitting vixen, and what troubled her the most was his indistinguishable expression after his subconscious outburst of anger. She didn't know if he was going to pummel her, yell at her, or pick her up and continue walking her down to her home. She didn't know, and that uncertainty really did frighten her.

That was when the unthinkable happened.

He started laughing.

"Way to prove me wrong," he smiled, fighting through laughter as he applied pressure to the holes the blue vixen's canine teeth punctured into his skin. "God damn did you bite Fox that hard?"

Krystal didn't answer. She was just lost in shock and confusion.

When Wolf reapplied pressure to his muzzle after grabbing another cloth from his pockets, he then realized that in his blind state of pain he had knocked her down. After managing to tie the cloth to this face without hindering his speech, he approached the vixen who curled up farther into her defensive ball with every step he took, then knelt down to her level.

"Hey, you okay?"

"What's it matter to you?" spat Krystal, beginning to tear up again.

Wolf went from all smiles to stoic blankness in a split-second at that acidic remark. "Well, I kinda bowled you over after you bit me. Sorry if I'm asking how you feel."

"Why do you care so much about how I _feel_?" the Cerinian snapped, bolting to her feet, almost making Wolf fall over with the sheer momentum she carried. "Right now I think you're taunting me more than anything! You're taking advantage that Fox isn't here to help me by picking on me, trying to get my feelings out of me when you truly don't care about them and would crush them in an instant! And to think I thought you genuinely cared and tried to help!"

"Krystal," started the lupine, gently picking himself up to a standing position. Krystal immediately silenced him with a feral sounding growl as her muzzle contorted into a nasty scowl.

"Who the hell are you and what do you think you're trying to do?"

"Sorry if I'm trying to help," retorted Wolf.

"If you were trying to help, why have you been acting like _three_ different people around me?" questioned the vixen, her anger starting to degrade into sorrow. "You change your personality so many times now that I don't even know who I'm talking to anymore! Just stop!"

"I'm trying to help you," Wolf reiterated.

"Screw you Wolf," she whimpered, tucking her tail in between her legs as she slowly backed away. "I wish Fox was here to kick your tail for doing this to me, you heartless son of a bitch."

"Kryst—"

"Just shut up and leave me alone, asshole," she cried, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. "I've had enough of you."

Wolf, unable to think of what to do next, essentially gave up and turned around, slowly trotting up to the railing on the bridge overlooking the narrow river and impending sunset.

The sun at this point had lowered below the horizon of trees, darkening their surrounding enough to activate the numerous streetlights lining the entire length of the sidewalk, including all four ends of the short bridge. The sky still glowed in a faded, warm orange, tinting the clear water flowing down towards the setting sun that same shade of dimming orange. Adding to the serenity of the moment were the leaves that gradually peeled off of their corresponding trees and aimlessly floated along with the wind, some landing in the water just at the base of the wooden bridge.

Wolf sighed, evident with the cloud of fog that had sprung from his nostrils, and crossed his arms on the railing, letting his legs bend and his tail lay lifeless on the bridge floor. As he stared out into the serene beauty of the sunset slowly lowering below a distinguishable viewpoint for him, his tall ears gradually flattened against his head.

Just seeing him feel so hopeless and defeated made the vixen deflate. Not once did she think she could feel so sorry for the wolf who had caused her so much pain over her lifetime, and the few short hours after they had laid Fox to rest. It looked as though he genuinely looked depressed… As if he had failed something that truly meant something to him.

…Maybe he was thinking of her wellbeing. Maybe he wanted to help her get out of her emotional turmoil, but… just failed in doing so. Now he lost, and sat in defeat as he gazed out into that gently lowering sunset.

Minutes went by. Still, he refused to move, and the more he stood in still silence the more Krystal was beginning to feel guilty. Now her own conscience was starting to bite at her. He was only trying to help, and she pushed away her only chance at getting sincere help, albeit from an unlikely source. Still, that unlikely source helped her better than, say, Peppy or Falco would. Wolf provided a unique viewpoint that she would never be able to replicate. Now she didn't have that viewpoint to her disposal anymore. She pissed it off.

Her guilt eventually consumed her as she slowly started to approach him. Neither his ears nor tail made any movement of recognition, but then again it was probably because he didn't care anymore. He literally gave up in caring about her, after all the attempts. She swatted him down almost every time just because she couldn't comprehend. Hell, his emotions flew from one spectrum to the other in no time flat as if he were bipolar, so she would be correct in being hesitant with his actions. Maybe a little explanation would drastically help the situation.

As soon as she tried to open her muzzle, Wolf's voice broke the still silence other than the rustling leaves and the flowing water underneath the bridge. Judging by how shaky his voice was, he was evidently holding back his own emotions.

"Let me tell you a little something, little blue," Wolf started, staring at the flowing, shallow water underneath him. "Something I don't think 'ol Foxie would've told you. Listen up… I'm only gonna tell you this once."

Krystal tentatively approached his left side and leaned against the railing, only she stared at Wolf while he kept his gaze transfixed on the river.

"Over a decade ago, before either of us had our private mercenary company or our notoriety, we were both in the same class in the Cornerian Flight Academy. Fox got let in early because he had skill, and the instructors knew it. Plus he had his dad, and if you knew James McCloud, you knew that his skill was hereditary. Fox got ever single bit of it when he came into the world."

Wolf shifted his legs as he continued, "Nevertheless, by sheer coincidence, I was assigned as his simulation partner. Little Fox McCloud, a teenager at the time, and me. And boy… did he give me a run for my money… I've never seen anyone pilot so well in my life. I always thought I was the best at flying. He proved me wrong, and that pissed me off. I wanted to be the best in the academy.

"But, at the same time I admired how well he handled himself despite being a teenager. Truth be told, the only reason I was as good as I ended up becoming was because I forced myself to compete at McCloud's level. I worked hard, trained hard, practiced hard, and developed my skills… yet it wasn't enough to best that son of a bitch in a dogfight."

Chuckling slightly, he straightened himself up, but still kept his eyes transfixed on the water below. "He knew I couldn't stand him, but that only made him get stronger. He wanted to make sure he was always better than me, just to torture me. God I hated him. Yet, I kept him around, 'cause if I didn't… hell, Star Wolf might not have taken off like it did…

"So, after a while, both he and I were tossed into the annual Cornerian Defense Force Academy Showcase, where all of the cadets show off around HQ with all of these fancy moves and all of that pointless garbage they do every year. Foxie and I were the main act. We did good, he and I did. I hated him up until that point, but when we were in the sky together I really didn't have any ill-feelings towards him. I genuinely liked him for that moment… and then that stupid son of a vulp hit me. Sliced off my wing and G-diffuser, and made me crash…"

Wolf finally looked over at the blue vixen and pointed at his eye patch. "Hence, this damn patch. That crash made me lose an eye, and I still haven't been able to fix or replace it. That moment, I lost all respect for him—no offense Krys—but that was the instant my hatred for him left the bounds of the classroom and went personal."

"But it was an accident, right?" the vixen intruded.

Wolf sighed again, this time the cloud of fog was illuminated by the streetlights on the ends of the bridge due to the fact that the sunset was almost completely hidden under the horizon, and very little sunlight was brightening the area. He popped off of the guardrail and turned his entire body to face the blue vixen, then after fighting with his conscience and pride for a few moments, shamefully nodded his head.

"Then why did you hate him?" questioned Krystal, starting to get a little upset.

"Because I was that person back then that had to put a blame on everything, alright?" Wolf suddenly snapped, staring directly into Krystal's eyes. "I didn't want to know me almost dying was an accident. For years I always claimed Fox hit me on purpose. And you know what? People believed it for the longest time, which is why Fox was forced out of the academy. And you know where he went from there? Star Fox. You can thank me for everything after that. Hell, you can thank me for even meeting Fox in the first place, 'cause if I didn't lie he wouldn't've taken over that company when his father died."

Oh boy, that entire story was a lot to process for her. So, it was true that those two had a rather… tense history together, and they also had a bit of a friendly rivalry that eventually turned personal, but… what did that have to do with anything they had talked about prior? Was it when she wanted Fox to come back to kick Wolf's tail back into place? That was the only answer that made sense. But then afterwards… what happened? Why did it change so much?

Obviously Wolf told that story to disprove Krystal's assumption that Fox would willingly hurt Wolf because of something he did, but why now? What was it all about in the long run? Granted, she loved a new story of her late lover and his exploits as a younger version of himself, but this one was strange. It was a new one, that was a given, but… it was so interesting. Wolf and Fox were friendly rivals at first before one simple mistake screwed everything up. Did Fox not hate him back or something?

Or… did it _really_ screw everything up? Wolf was right, everything afterwards was based on a lie. Wolf lied, and caused Fox to travel down the path of a mercenary instead of a CDF fighter pilot. And from there he was assigned the mission that eventually introduced him to her on Sauria. And from there on out, his job helped him nourish his relationship with her almost to the point of exchanging vows. She really did have to thank Wolf for all of that.

Wiping away a leftover tear, she sniffed and approached the lupine, immediately wrapping her arms around him in a strong embrace the wolf was not expecting so soon. In fact, his instincts almost pushed her away at first but his mind saw the better as soon as he lowered his arms to potentially push her off.

"Oh, a little hypocritical aren't we?" Wolf taunted smugly. "Tell me to back off yet here you go clinging on me. What's this about anyway?"

"Thanking you," answered Krystal, gently pressing her fluffy cheek against his chest. "Is that not what you wanted?"

"Well, yeah," the lupine grunted as if she was doubting his intelligence, pushing her away after a brief pause. "But didn't you just tell me to leave you alone?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for snapping at you," Krystal admitted, pulling her head away to look up at him. "I never realized you and Fox were close before. I'm just… really confused right now. I don't know what I'm thinking anymore."

As soon as she said that, she spun around and slowly wandered towards the middle of the bridge with her paws tucked into her borrowed jacket pockets. Concerned, Wolf gently walked up beside her and asked her what was wrong.

Sighing, Krystal let her ears lie flat. "You, Wolf. That's what's confusing me. You've never acted like this before, but now that Fox is gone you're like an entirely different person. It's really confusing… I just want to know why."

Wolf gently grabbed her nearest shoulder and spun her around to face him. With a noticeable amount of hesitance and an overwhelmingly high amount of reluctance, he looked her dead in the eye and held her in place by her arms.

Normally, the warning lights would have gone off by now in the blue vixen's head, but now she didn't feel in danger at all. In fact, she couldn't help herself from slightly blushing purple at his expression. He looked as sincere as sincere could get, and the way he looked at her just screamed that he didn't hold a single ill feeling toward her at all.

Krystal felt her heart start to quicken pace, as well as her breathing beginning to shallow up into nervous, quiet gasps, but at first she didn't think anything of it. She wasn't afraid at all. She felt comfortable in his grasp and presence. Yet, that was causing her emotions to go haywire.

Calming herself down somewhat—or at least to attentively listen to the lupine—she looked back at him with violet cheeks and wide eyes. Wolf didn't take anything from it, and instead bowed his head to let air out of his lungs before responding in a low whisper.

"I promised Fox I wouldn't tell you, but… I'd be stupid to not say anything," he said gently, refusing to break eye contact with her. Krystal nervously tried looking away, but could not escape his entrancing stare. It was like her eyes were glued to his, and she couldn't say or do anything against it.

"Last year, when I lost _my_ mate, I was inconsolable… until Fox came along. Cheered me up, the little runt did. We had a few drinks and talked like two friends would… when he brought something up… regarding himself, and you, more specifically."

Wolf's right paw slid down and gingerly clamped down around her wrist, gently holding it with his muscular paw. She blushed even more, but Wolf seemed oblivious.

"He knew his profession was starting to intrude on his personal life, as in he knew that people were gonna start trying to take cheap shots at him, or you. He made me a deal that day, something I still don't understand why he did but obviously he was starting to get desperate for help himself if he came crawling to me. He trusted me. He knew I had the strength to do what I'm about to tell you."

Another involuntary sniffle left his nose. "Fox said that if anything were to happen to him, whether it be an assassination like this, or a failed mission, or something that prevented him from coming back home… …he told me to keep you safe and make sure you didn't do anything drastic, like you almost did earlier. He knew you had that potential to take something like that too hard, and end up hurting yourself, so he… trusted me to keep you away from that path."

Krystal swallowed hard, beginning to tear up. "So… Fox knew he was gonna die?"

"All mercs do," affirmed Wolf. "He knew his case was more severe. He literally had guys gunning for him. He needed a plan just in case something did happen, and he trusted me to help him. Not Falco, not Peppy, not Slippy… but me."

The blue vixen stared at him in shock, her eyes beginning to glaze over with tears.

"Krys, Fox loved you like you would not believe," the lupine explained. "He went on and on that day a year ago, literally _begging_ me to keep his love safe. I couldn't tell him no. I couldn't deny you that help either in case it did happen."

"…Fox…" she squeaked out softly.

Wolf tightened his hold on her wrist. "Fox was looking out for you. He wanted the best for you in case he were to die like this. He knew you loved him more than anything, and knew that if he died like that you would be devastated. I'm only here to help little blue… …what you were getting confused about was probably me doing this without telling you. I wanted to honor Fox's wish of keeping it a secret, but… I'm sure he wanted you to know at some point. It was what he wanted after all."

In one fluid motion after a tear streamed down her fur, Wolf gently pulled her in and gave her a consoling hug which she practically melted into. His warmth, his tenderness, and his overall consent to the embrace made Krystal's heart start beating out of her chest. That warmth he was emitting was nothing compared to the fire brewing deep within her. It made her feel happy, but at the same time she couldn't believe what she was feeling.

It felt right, but why did it feel so wrong?

"I'm sorry Krystal," Wolf said sincerely, patting her back softly as she let her emotions tumble through her teeth and eyes. "Here, it's getting dark, and I'm starting to get cold too. Let's get you home."

Krystal, unable to do anything else due to her mental and emotional condition, only nodded. Wolf, just like last time, gingerly set his arm over her shoulders and guided her along the lit path down towards the other end of the bridge they seemingly spent hours on. Within moments, they had left the sanctuary of the little park that housed that serene, shallow river and were back within the grounds of the neighborhood.

The entire way back, Krystal could not take her eyes, nor her mind off of the lupine beside her. She got his antics out of the way, but in that time she forgot to think about her own. She spent so much time trying to crack Wolf out of his shell, and she ended up succeeding, but she also succeeded in igniting some deep feelings she thought only came around when around her late lover. Now, under the protecting grasp of the burly gray wolf, she felt entranced with him. She couldn't go as far as saying she was infatuated with him, but she did have to admit some feelings were stirring. After all they had been through, she was beginning to like him.

He did possess many admirable qualities that Krystal immediately took a note of. He had honor, as in he didn't want to break Fox's promise of silence, but at the same time he had the humility to admit he broke that promise for a greater good. That was another quality, his knowledge of the good. Despite being a wanted criminal, he sure knew what the right choice was.

Plus, despite his history, he had quite a bit of softness and tenderness in him. He wasn't just a rock hard shell. He did have a soft side to him, and in Krystal's case he managed to crack him open. And as a result, she did have to admit she enjoyed seeing such a mountain of a wolf reduced to a pile of sappy fluff in a few short hours. She liked his new empathetic side. Hell, she could go as far as saying she loved his new persona. It was nice to see such a fine looking wolf act like a regular person.

Now it was starting to become worrisome to her. She was starting to like the frame outside of the mentality. The warm, strong grasp he had that had consoled her many times already was really beginning to grow on her not just as a consolation attempt, but a genuine act of affection. He might not have thought anything of it, but she knew better. He had that warmth in his actions, not to mention has that same tenderness in his eye and his general expressions. It was far from the Wolf O'Donnell that had tried to kill her many times before.

In his grasp, she started losing track of time. She lost track of her surroundings. All she concerned herself with was him, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't break her stare or her locked thoughts. She seemed to be locked out of her own mind. Now that Wolf's mentality had been unlocked, that same lock fell on her own mind. She couldn't tell herself no, and to be frank she didn't want to either. It was all some sort of sick joke to her; she just didn't understand how she could completely flip her heart like this. It didn't feel right. It shouldn't. But it still did.

Krystal nearly jumped when Wolf stopped at the base of Fox's small suburban home. A clean sidewalk rode all the way through the small front lawn right up to the heavy oak door that separated the warm inside from the bitterly cold outside. Surrounding that door were rows upon rows of dark siding, slightly lighter than the dark oak door, but still the two objects gave the small, narrow, two story home a homely feel without even having to step inside.

Wolf stopped at the lamppost halfway up to the front door of the home and removed his arm, prompting the vixen to turn to face him.

"Here we are," the lupine said with a grin. "Home sweet home."

"Thank you so much Wolf," she said thoughtfully, pulling the lupine in for another warm embrace. "You really calmed me down. I feel so much better already."

Wolf chuckled and returned the gentle affection. "Not a problem, little blue. You take care of yourself, okay?"

"Oh, okay," the vixen affirmed weakly, pulling away from Wolf. "But, where are you staying?"

Wolf gave her a weak, forced grin. "I wish I could say I have a place to stay. I've been living out of my car for months. It's alright though, it's pretty comfortable."

"No," Krystal interrupted before he could start backing up, grabbing the sleeve of his undershirt. "No, Wolf, please stay here."

Wolf's functioning eye practically shout out of his skull. "Wait, what?"

Krystal lowered her ears. "Well, I… I really liked the story you told me. It made me feel a little better. It helped me forget the sadness. Do you think you could stay and tell me more about Fox back when you two were friends?"

The gray wolf hesitated for a moment, but eventually glanced back at her and grinned again. "Would it make you happier?"

The Cerinian nodded instantly. "Yes."

"Then it's settled," Wolf stated, making the blue vixen's face light up in relief. "Oh boy, do I have a funny story of when Fox first showed up at the academy."

"Embarrassing?" asked Krystal, smiling as she led Wolf to the front door. When she located the key underneath the welcome mat and unlocked the door, Wolf snickered and nodded his head.

"Embarrassing doesn't do it justice. This is downright _hilarious_ , and I'm sure Fox would be rolling in his grave if he found out I was telling you this."


	6. Chapter VI

_A/N: Hey fellas. Finally got another chapter up after an almost two month wait. So sorry for that; I got pretty busy for a while there. But, nevertheless, here is the next chapter for you to enjoy._

 _Thanks for all of the feedback last chapter, and I hope to see more with this one. You guys never fail to disappoint._

 _Lastly, just a reminder to keep Shep in your thoughts. He's in rough shape, so every little bit of support will definitely help._

 _This is Haygood signing off. Thanks in advance, my friends._

* * *

 **Chapter VI: Cracking the Shell**

* * *

The hours that ensued after Krystal's invitation and Wolf's obligation were… interesting, to say the least.

Due to the fact that it was incredibly late at night, and neither had eaten for what seemed like the entire day, Krystal offered to throw a meal together for the two of them, which Wolf did not hesitate to accept. During their time at the dinner table, Wolf followed through with his promise—telling story after story about his time with Fox at the Cornerian Flight Academy years and years ago. The blue vixen couldn't stop smiling, as most of the lupine's tales wandered onto particularly embarrassing grounds for Fox.

Even after their hearty meal was nothing but crumbs on their plates, the duo stayed at the table and talked. The way those two talked… it was a wonder if they had held ill-feelings toward each other at all. They talked like two friends. Sharing stories like two ordinary friends would. They laughed, joked around, and overall had a fun time, which was something Krystal would have not expected from him.

Every story the lupine told and laughed about, Krystal couldn't dissuade the thoughts that kept wandering into her mind. Not his—he was still locked up after all—but her own. Her own thoughts about him. None of them hostile in any way, shape, or form. Every single time she looked at him, laughed with him, or talked to him… she felt more comfortable around him. It got to a point where she felt completely safe alone with him, more so than ever before. Not one single bit of hesitance surfaced around him. It was like he was the closest friend she had at the time.

Eventually, the conversation moved from the kitchen and out into the living room of Fox's former home. Krystal sat on the couch with her legs crossed, her back resting on the armrest as she faced the lupine. Wolf looked comfortable, and with how late it was, she knew that he was on the verge of falling asleep. Piercing the brief, shared silence, Krystal stretched her arms out and stood up off the couch.

"Thank you so much for staying Wolf," she said thoughtfully. "You have no idea how happy you made me today."

Wolf chuckled and stood up himself. "No problem, little blue. It was my pleasure."

The lupine stretched as well, then picked up his heavy, leather jacket from the armchair next to the couch. When he slipped one of his fuzzy arms through the corresponding sleeve, Krystal's ears folded back against her head.

"What are you doing?"

Wolf raised his eye to her. "Going home."

"But you just said you didn't have one," reminded Krystal.

"Your point?"

Krystal grabbed at her wrist again. "Well, you can stay here if you want. It won't bother me any."

Wolf's functioning eye widened. "Oh? Are you sure?"

The blue vixen nodded her head in affirmation. "Please. I don't want you to sleep out in your car tonight. We've got a couch right here that nobody is using."

Wolf removed his one arm from the jacket and draped it over the armchair back like it had been all night. What brought a smile to the vixen's muzzle was that he looked like he was struggling to come up with the words to say afterwards.

"You're welcome, Wolf," smirked the vixen, inching closer to the lupine. "It's the least I could do for all the help you gave me today."

"Did I really do that much for you?" he asked with genuine confusion.

"Of course you did," she said with a scoff. "Wolf, I'd be dead if you weren't here; you know that, right?"

"Yes," replied Wolf. "And I'm glad I got there when I did. I almost failed Foxie."

Krystal nodded and gave Wolf a smack on the leg with her tail. "Thanks again Wolf."

"Don't mention it," he smiled, outstretching his arms. Krystal immediately smiled back and gently leaned into his embrace, getting a last-minute fill of his warmth before retracting away. "Get some sleep, okay? You need it."

"I will," the vixen affirmed. "Goodnight."

Krystal slipped away from the living room and immediately climbed up the narrow set of stairs to the second floor. As soon as she wound the corner into the short, narrow hallway that housed the doors to two separate bedrooms and a bathroom, she let the energy built up in her tail exit in violent fashion as the bushy appendage jerked and flicked around wildly.

Calming herself down, she decided not to shower for the night and went straight to bed. However, when she opened the door to her bedroom, her heart sank. She didn't have Fox. She had his bed, but… didn't have the handsome vulpine to share it with to keep her warm. Now it seemed as though her build up euphoria diminished into that hopelessness and sadness that she felt at the cemetery.

Sighing in loneliness, the vixen stripped of her dress and donned some more appropriate nightclothes, consisting of her undergarments and Fox's old clothes that were easily three sized too big. The t-shirt she chose flooded on her thin, lithe frame like a dress, covering her rose colored panties and her upper legs as well. She adored the comfortable fabric, but upon looking at the queen size bed wedged into the corner of the room, she started craving a softer, warmer feeling in her arms.

She missed Fox. Bad.

When she approached the vacant bed, she started hearing a bit of rustling downstairs, signifying that Wolf was making himself comfortable down there. That was when her mind started giving her ideas that she immediately shot down. She didn't need him with her. She appreciated the comfort and the concern, but she wouldn't be caught dead sleeping in the same bed as him. He may have changed into a compassionate and comforting man, but there was no debating it. He was not getting into her room, under any circumstances. Fox was still her man.

She slipped under the covers, immediately melting into the comfort of the pillows as a sigh escaped her maw. She unconsciously flipped to her side and reached out, only to come up with air. She whimpered again, knowing that the loneliness started to creep back into her again. It hurt. It stung knowing that she was alone for the first time in years. She didn't have that perfect guy to cuddle up to at the end of the day anymore. She had to settle for Fox's head pillow, which still faintly smelled of his natural scent that settled Krystal down, albeit miniscule.

The last thing the poor vixen felt before drifting off to sleep was a tear dripping down her cheek and onto the pillow, leaving the residue of genuine sadness on the sheets.

That night… the thought of him came back stronger than ever. Now that her conscience and imagination took over her judgement while she slept, her dreams were plagued by horrible thoughts of loneliness and abandonment. As much as she wanted to fight herself and eliminate those thoughts from her mind, she was stuck in her stasis-like dream state disallowing her from thinking more peaceful and comforting thoughts.

Hours and hours went by, and the nightmares kept flooding her mind without end or limitations. He just kept dying… over… and over… and over again… She couldn't do anything to stop it. She tried to scream. She begged it to end. She pleaded for the nightmares to end. As if her own mind enjoyed the torture it was forcing upon itself, the nightmares only increased in intensity, over-exaggerating scenarios that she always thought about but never wanted to happen. They slapped her over and over again without end.

Fox was the love of her life, and reliving his death as if she were right there next to him made her feel as though the dagger of hopelessness stabbed her in her broken heart repeatedly, making the pain of his sudden departure downright painful to even think about anymore.

Finally, her conscience let her escape the mental torture, finally waking herself up from her extremely restless sleep with a shrill gasp and a silent scream of agony. She bolted straight up, her hair limply falling in front of her wide turquoise eyes as she took heavy, long breaths to try to calm herself down. When her adrenaline started to simmer down, the sorrow of reliving those events over and over again slowly encroached upon her, and eventually she was reduced to tears as she buried her face into her paws.

She felt lonelier than ever before. All she could dream about was losing him, and the worst part was that she didn't have anyone to help her through it. Nobody could replace Fox. He was everything. A caring, compassionate soul that stopped at nothing to ensure she was happy. Now that he was gone, she didn't have that luxury anymore.

She was starting to get desperate. That desperation started leading her towards those dark thoughts that she thought she left back at the cemetery earlier in the day. She couldn't think about that again. Fox told her not to. But what was she to do? Nothing was working to help her forget him enough to stop crying every ten minutes. Nothing at all.

Nothing except Wolf.

Tears flowing from her eyelids, Krystal ripped the blanket off of her frame and bolted out her bedroom door, immediately rushing down the flight of stairs down to the ground floor. Wolf was sound asleep on the couch with his paws folded over his chest, but at the sound of Krystal's footsteps and whimpering, his eyes fluttered open. As soon as he recognized the vixen quickly approaching him, he sat up and flung his legs over to a proper sitting position, only for the blue vixen to practically jump on him and burst into tears.

"Whoa, Krystal!" Wolf exclaimed, toppling over onto his side with the vixen sobbing into him. "Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"I can't stop thinking about him!" she yipped, choking over her emotions. "I don't know what to do anymore!"

"Hey, Krystal, shhh, calm down," Wolf pleaded, sitting up and pushing the vixen off of him. After turning on the lamp sitting by his head, he held her arms by her shoulders and stared at her tear-filled eyes. "Krystal, please, calm down."

"Wolf, I—"

"Shhh, breathe," the lupine said softly, gently stroking the tufted fur on her shoulders. "Calm down, okay? Just breathe… in and out…"

Krystal gradually started to bring her emotions under control, but as a result, more tears started to flow down her cheeks. Looking up at the lupine with a desperate longing to be cured of her mental afflictions, she whimpered even more in hopelessness, prompting Wolf to shift on the couch and get a better grip on the emotional vixen.

"Nightmare?" he asked concernedly.

"I miss him too much," she sobbed quietly. "I can't even get any sleep without thinking about him."

Wolf slowly nodded his head, patting the open seat on the couch, to which the vixen tentatively hopped up and crossed her legs. Once she got comfortable, Wolf pulled his jacket off of the armchair next to him and gently laid it around her shoulders, noticing that she had started shivering again. Once Krystal's shaking started to subside, the lupine let himself slump on the couch as he rested his feet on the table in front of them.

"Wolf?" the blue vixen spoke up, almost as if a kitten were forced to speak. "Can… can I talk to you?"

"Well you haven't stopped yet today," Wolf chuckled to throw a bit of lightheartedness into the situation. Krystal let the smallest grin crease her muzzle, but let it fade as her head hung.

"What exactly did Fox tell you?"

Wolf's expression hardened. "I was told not to say. I already told you the gist of it."

"But, Wolf, I need to know what he said exactly," the vixen argued. "I'm sorry if I'm being needy, but if Fox said something to you that you think I should know, then please tell me."

"Krystal, I don't want to break his promise," Wolf reiterated. "You know I can't break it."

"At this point, I don't care," Krystal started to raise her voice. "Please. Tell me."

"Krystal, I can't—"

"Please," she cried, tears starting to form in her eyes.

The lupine's ears fell. "Okay, okay, okay, Krys, I'll talk."

Wolf sat up, letting his heavy, bushy tail hang limply over the armrest of the couch. Once he was comfortable, he looked over at the Cerinian vixen and sighed once more.

"I know what it's like to lose a loved one," Wolf started, his voice barely breaking a whisper. "Years ago, when I was still in the CDF as an active pilot, I met my best friend. Her name was Fara Phoenix. Young girl at the time; probably six or seven years younger than I was. But… damn was she cute. I fell in love with her right away. I'll spare you the details of what happened afterward—"

"Why?" Krystal asked. "Did something happen? What'd you do?"

"It's embarrassing," Wolf muttered, his cheeks starting to gain warmth. "I don't want to say."

"You? Embarrassed?" Krystal giggled softly. "You must have done something really stupid."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, little blue," Wolf grumbled, pinning his ears against the back of his head. "Since you insist, well… the first time I talked to her was about as awkward as awkward can get. I froze up, as weird as it was. Usually I don't get that way unless I really do like someone, and Fara definitely filled that criteria. Turns out that I was blessed by whatever god people believe in because she was just as, if not more awkward with me at first. That really helped, because I managed to build a few jokes off of our awkwardness to break the ice. That's pretty much how we became friends in the ranks, and eventually I got the balls to ask her out."

Shifting in a way to face the vixen more comfortably, Wolf continued, "So, Fara and I finally made that step. We were like you and Fox, Krys. We were inseparable. Nothing could get in our way. Well, until…"

Wolf trailed off and glanced down at the floor. Concerned, Krystal asked, "What happened?"

He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Fara got deployed overnight in a scouting mission without me even knowing. When I woke up, I found out that the scouting squadron got ambushed, and… and Fara… she… she didn't make it out…"

Krystal's eyes widened. Poor Wolf. He really does know what it feels like to lose someone near and dear to the heart. She really felt bad for him. After all she had said to him not just today, but the years prior fighting against him, she truthfully felt sorry for him. He was a broken soul looking for something to keep his heart off of the pain.

"What I'm getting at is that I know how it feels," Wolf started. "Fox knew that I was a hopeless soul after that, so he told me… well… after I agreed to essentially take you in… he told me that whatever happens… just should happen... and I shouldn't try to stop them…"

"…What?"

"I didn't know what he meant at first, but…" Wolf once again trailed off, more tears accumulating in his eye. "After today, I know exactly what he meant."

"What did he mean?"

Without warning, the lupine suddenly bent over and let a few pitiful whimpers leave his muzzle. Krystal gently scooted towards him and laid an arm over his back to try to console him, and it was that simple gesture that did so much for her own conscience. As soon as she showcased her own consolation gesture, she barely caught a faint glimpse of the wolf's mind. At first, she thought she would find nothing but sadness and sorrow due to his actions, but, in fact, she found something different inside all of that sorrow.

Amongst the overwhelming sadness plaguing the lupine's mind was a faint trace of comfort. That comfort was stemming from that simple touch she was giving him. There was no hostility or anger in his mind, but only soothing comfort and that small trace of happiness that resulted from it.

It was at that moment that Krystal realized that Wolf, underneath that mantra of a fearless leader and criminal was an ordinary person like she was. He was a person that desired a lasting friendship with someone that could share his feelings. Everyone wants to have someone to stay by their side to keep them comforted in times of need, and Wolf was no exception. It just occurred to her that Wolf really didn't have that kind of person in his life. Sure, he had his teammates from Star Wolf, but she could put money on the fact that their friendship rarely ever left the cockpit.

When Krystal started gently rubbing the lupine's back, his crying finally left the boundaries of just small whimpers. He sobbed quite uncharacteristically, but before the vixen could do anything more to calm him down, he suddenly pulled his head up and pushed it into Krystal's arms. Not even hesitating in the slightest, Krystal allowed the lupine to lean into her warm grasp, and soon thereafter she gently clutched the lupine's head when she realized that her touch was bringing out more and more of Wolf's happiness that would normally be obscured with his sorrowful sobbing.

Awkwardly, the cobalt vixen rubbed at his ears as he just stayed put resting his head against her chest. It felt weird being the person that the big, bad Wolf used to be a shoulder to cry on. Frankly, she didn't care. At this point, all of her hesitance with him was long gone. He showed that he was much more than just a ruthless pilot putting his morals and livelihood behind him just to make a quick credit. He had a soul. He definitely had a heart. He also had a set of emotions that the vixen had never seen from someone like him. Yet, to her, they just felt natural.

Even when he was hot on her tail threatening to end her in a fiery explosion, she always thought there was more to him. Boy, she didn't expect there was _this_ much to him. The poor wolf had an entirely different person locked away in his heart, and it took her losing someone she loved to unlock it.

Wait…

There was more underneath that shell of his.

Is that what Fox saw in him to trust him?

Gently clutching at the lupine's cheek fluff, Krystal pulled him out of her chest and brought his eye to hers. Even with the tears covering his only functioning violet eye, Krystal saw something in there. There was more than just a little glint that stood out to her. The way he stared back… there was something more there.

Krystal noticed it right away. In the midst of tears and sadness, there was that little glimmer of hope in his eye. No. It wasn't hope. It wasn't that simple. There was much more than that.

Then Wolf blinked.

A tear slid out and dripped all the way down to her paw still resting on his cheek.

Krystal's heart melted right then and there when she realized what that glint in his eye was. It wasn't what she first thought.

No. It was far more beautiful than that.

It was the same thing Fox saw.

And when she made that connection and saw how much that little expression in the lupine's eye spoke volumes about his true persona, there was no denying what had to be done next.

Without hesitation, Krystal forced his muzzle into hers and locked the both of them into a deep, passionate kiss.


	7. Chapter VII

_A/N: I took a long time with this, I know. I, unfortunately, got caught up with some very personal situations, which killed my love for writing this for a good month. As of this week, I finally managed to get my life back in working order, long enough to churn out another chapter. I'll try not to take long with the next update, but you never know with how this year's been goin' for me so far.  
_

 _Hope you guys enjoy. Feel free to drop a review and tell me what you think. This is Haygood signing off._

* * *

 **Chapter VII: Understanding**

* * *

A metaphorical bomb exploded within Krystal's mind—so strong that that it inadvertently deepened the impulsive kiss to such an intensity that she was hit with countless emotions all at once.

Shock was one. Being metaphorically slapped in the face with realization when she finally registered what she committed to definitely did a number on her. She, as of the current day, had just got done saying that Fox was the only one she could share her affection with, but by the end of the day she had contradicted herself. As in, Wolf was in the midst of one of the strongest kisses she had ever given out.

She felt a bit of inner disgust too, kissing the closest thing she had to a mortal enemy with not only a passionate intensity, but an overall affectionate manner as well, as if Wolf was Fox McCloud himself. When the bomb of emotion split up into distinct mental wavelengths that Krystal could connect to specific emotions, she realized how strange it was; feeling his rugged muzzle against her delicate lips. He was obviously just as shocked as she was—probably even more if he could prove it—and it was definitely apparent with how his muzzle didn't adapt to her own lips right away. Yet, much to her own surprise, her body disregarded it and molded to fit against his face in a seemingly demanding way when his shock didn't seem to fade away.

However, what she felt the most of, despite it being incredibly shocking to her, was that feeling she lost just a few long days ago. That feeling abandoned with Fox's deposed soul. That feeling buried with Fox's lifeless corpse. Something she firmly believed—after the dirt had washed over Fox's casket, firmly embedding it into the ground to keep it from coming back ever again—she would never experience as long as she roamed the earth.

It was love. True, comforting, warming, and consoling love.

Krystal felt herself and the lupine locked with her lips radiate that powerful aura of love as if they were both supergiant stars, whose chemical reactions that released energy in the form of heat involved that same affection. A weird comparison indeed, but, adding to that, Krystal felt like she was about to supernova with how much involuntary affection had been let loose.

Nevertheless, they both froze up as soon as their muzzles met, mainly out of sheer confusion and the inability to comprehend and assess the situation. Yet, the more they stayed, the more they felt each other melt into the warm, affectionate embrace as if they had become piles of slush. That same heat coursed through their bodies, seemingly jumping the gap between their respective layers of skin into each other's bodies to keep the heat flowing. Never—not even with Fox—did Krystal ever feel so many butterflies in her stomach; so much heat flowing through her blood; so much affection being expelled from her body in such an impulsive and desperate manner.

To her amazement, as soon as Wolf recovered from the multiple second spook and confusion, he pushed inward, snapping their frozen lips into action. With an almost possessive and hungry desire, Wolf regained movement in his face and deepened the impulsive kiss. As soon as Krystal realized he responded positively to her desperate and unconscious action, she did the same. Their arms worked like mindless machines, aimlessly reaching out to touch and feel anything their fingertips could locate. They both were blind to each other, as their eyes had slowly shut when the shock of the kiss subsided into seemingly drunken affection. Krystal's cobalt paws explored the rigid contours of the lupine's backside, mapping out every single wrinkle, tuft of fur, scar, or recognizable bone just by her touch, while Wolf tentatively reached out, not knowing what to do next. Yet, all the while, both his lips and Krystal's gently and gracefully danced in and out of each other like a choreographed dance.

For being a rugged mercenary with microscopic amounts of genuine care—well, up until now, that is—Wolf was certainly a good kisser. Krystal unknowingly became lost in the lupine's surgeon-like carefulness and tenderness he expressed in his heart-felt osculation. Time seemed to slow down completely as both Krystal and Wolf lightly bit on each other's lips in a faintly acquisitive fashion, their needy, yet restrained fondling only allowing for more of that sympathetic and intoxicating heat to flow between them as if the kiss spliced their bloodstreams together.

They became ambiguously comfortable with their tight, fervent endearment to allow their embrace to skip a few steps upward. Krystal and Wolf cocked their heads in opposite directions, beginning to fight for a sense of dominance with their tongues. Fox always let her win, being how he was, but with Wolf she actually had a challenge. One of her paws snaked up his back to rest on his cheek, her fingers feeling his jawbone as she tried to gain a foothold—er, _tongue_ -hold, if you will—in the fight. Wolf's paws unintelligibly found their way up to her cheeks as well, more out of a subconscious reflex rather than a thought-out process. Hell, most of his thought process was going to his immediate restraint to not make a scene out of the improvised session unfolding before their blind and disconnected minds.

It seemed like Krystal was the one that was acting on her immediate thoughts rather than her conscience more than he was. Even with all of his senses concentrated on his embrace, he still felt his undershirt ruffle as Krystal's other paw attempted to get underneath it. Unknowingly, the cobalt vixen just accidentally flipped the situation at hand from a passionate, comforting, and sentimental expression of genuine attraction and affection, to that of a sensual, lustful, and somewhat obscene make-out session. Their mindless fondling suddenly degraded into lewd and stimulating groping, and their kiss suddenly stopped being affectionate and became completely overshadowed by spiking hormones. Their choreographed embrace suddenly became that of an unrelenting fight for domination.

Their silence was broken.

A thick haze clouded their mentalities. They no longer appreciated their momentary embrace for what it was worth, but suddenly only saw the outer shell of who they just as of recently wanted nothing more than to get inside of their heads. That suddenly became a fight as to who could get into each other's pants the quickest. That love they shared flipped to lust in no time flat. Their limp grasp to explore the other's body in an appreciative manner started becoming much more intense and possessive, driven by hormones rather than a warm heart. They began to lick, nip, and bite with a much fiercer vigor, eliciting erotic moans from their respective match. Their drunken love looked like it was just about to go flying down a flight of stairs.

Up until Krystal finally couldn't keep her eyes closed anymore.

When she opened them, she saw how much of an unconsciously lustful expression the lupine wore on his muzzle, obviously turned on with how much their session of incoherent fondling revved up his hormones. Abruptly breaking their temporary bond, Krystal forced herself out of the lupine's aura, snapping him back into himself just as fast as their lovable embrace started and ultimately ended.

Instead of panting from exertion and lack of breath, Krystal backed away with a scared and confused expression, her breaths light and quick. She stumbled off of the couch, using the back and arms for leverage as she looked around the room in a slight stupor.

With wide turquoise eyes, Krystal looked back down at Wolf—who looked just about as confused and uncertain as she did—and let her muzzle hang ajar.

"Wolf…" she squeaked out, fingering her lips as if they were radioactive. "What… what did I do?"

Wolf's ears pinned against the back of his head.

"What have I done?" questioned the flustered vixen, her arms and paws beginning to shake. "Oh my gods and goddesses, what did I do?"

"Krystal," Wolf attempted to call out to her, but her name fell on deaf ears.

"I kissed you," she whispered hoarsely, remembering the warm and loving session of affection they shared before things started getting heated. Again, she touched her lips with the very tips of her fingers; the scent of his breath and saliva lingering.

"Krystal," Wolf repeated, yet not getting a response.

"Oh my gods, I kissed you," Krystal began to panic, her tail going berserk behind her. "How did this happen? Was I thinking? I don't think I was thinking! What is wrong with me? What—"

"Krystal!" Wolf shouted, grabbing her attention. Silence ensued for well over a few seconds, both of them contemplating their next move. Hell, not even Krystal knew what Wolf was planning, but she'd have to wait for him to make a move, or else they would stand like this all night.

Wolf slowly stood up off of the couch, pulling his undershirt back down. Slowly, the lupine stepped forward, his radiating warmth and admittedly intoxicating scent causing her cheeks to turn a deep shade of purple. She wasn't embarrassed, she was just feeling just as warm as he was. Her heart and tail sped up in activity, and her eyes couldn't be drawn away from that one piercing violet eye that stared back down at her. Part of her wanted to skip his explanation and force him into another session of affection, another wanted to skip the affection all together and go back to right where it started to get intense and physical, but the majority of her conscience told her to wait. Luckily, she made the right choice.

Wolf approached her until he had to look down at her, and vice-versa for Krystal. He exhaled a hesitant breath, but eventually outstretched his arms again, waiting for the cobalt vixen to lean into that attempted embrace. He was just offering up that amazingly warm and soothing grasp for free, and she definitely wanted to take him up on that offer, but instead she just started back at his enigmatic mind, trying—and ultimately failing—to get into that mindset of his just to see what it was he wanted from her.

"What's going on?" Krystal inquired in a faltering voice, practically on the verge of tears due to all of the emotional confliction she was feeling. Staring at Wolf with tear-stained and glossy eyes, she continued, "Wolf, what's happening?"

"What do you mean?" the lupine asked, his voice striking an almost divine chord.

"Why do I feel like this?" she asked with humility, a balled paw resting over her heart. "Why do I feel so conflicted? Why… why does it hurt?"

Krystal eventually became overwhelmed with emotion, faltering down to her knees as she let quite sobs escape her muzzle. Wolf crouched down to her level to investigate, leaning on one knee.

Krystal looked up off of the floor to meet his eye again. "Why does it feel so wrong?"

"What feels wrong?" questioned Wolf, staring right back at her.

Krystal stared back with an internal longing to be heard without having to go through the pain of admitting her guilt. The embarrassment. What would happen if she spilled? The uncertainty was killing her from the inside, and Wolf knew it. Krystal refused to talk just by her expression and body language, so Wolf honed in on the most of his concern to speak in the most assuring and angelic voice the Cerinian had ever heard.

"Krys, talk to me."

At that moment, the floodgates burst. Tears expelled out of her eyes like leaky shower drains that hadn't been fixed in months, while a pitiful whimper slipped through her teeth. The pain was excruciating. Even with their intense expression of affection moments prior, Krystal couldn't muster the courage to open her mouth and get that one little sentence out of her chest. It felt wrong. She felt like she would stab way too many people in the back if she spoke out. But the guilt and regret of not doing so eventually ate through the last line of defense the vixen had.

In a terribly shattered and faltering voice as if it had been the first words she had spoken in years after being mute for that interval of time, Krystal finally spoke her mind.

"Why am I in love with you?"

They froze again, once more in shock as if a bombshell had just been dropped next door. Wolf, who had been strong and understanding the entire time he extended his compassion to Krystal, finally found himself at a loss for words. He genuinely did not know how to adequately respond to the shell she had abruptly blasted him with. Krystal started feeling more and more conflicted the longer he stayed silent.

She felt a tear drip out of her eye again. Her cheeks were about as purple as purple could get. Yet, in the face of adversity, her conscience picked out a little glimmer of hope. Again, Krystal just managed to pick up a sliver of the lupine's thoughts, albeit not very much at all. However, she did decipher that within that wolf's enigmatic through process, she could definitely locate his sentence formation process. Somehow, someway, he was trying to answer her. Not shooting her down, not denying her, and not trying to beat around the bush, but actually trying to give her a truthful answer from deep within his heart.

She waited for him to answer, knowing that Wolf was just on the verge of speaking. She couldn't get enough of his mind to find out what he wanted to say, but all she knew was that his sentence formation process was almost complete.

Wolf suddenly broke their shared eye contact and looked down at the floor. "Fox was right," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Krystal squeaked after a momentary pause. "What do you mean?"

Wolf sighed, crossing his legs as he sat on the hardwood floor. "Fox told me about this during our talk that day," he explained, refusing to pick his head up. "Fox knew that you fell in love with him because of how supportive and comforting he was. He warned me about it, but… I just hated seeing you in such a broken state. I tried to take the risk, cheering you up while trying to keep it just as a distant friend kind of thing, but… you… er, _I_ fell into the same hole Fox fell in."

Krystal's eyes widened even further. Wolf knew that realization just bit her in a place the sun doesn't shine very often, if ever at all.

"Krystal," the lupine continued, gingerly reaching out to clutch her cobalt paw. "I understand what you're going through, and I know how hard it is to get over a sudden death like that. But, you're strong, and so am I. If… if you're okay with it… I'll walk with you, and we'll get through this."

The vixen's muzzle hung slightly ajar at his revelation. With a quiet whimper, she whispered, "Will you really do that for me?"

"You need it," he answered, lifting himself to his feet, then gently pulling her back up with him. With his paw still clamped around hers, he pulled her into another embrace, resting his muzzle on the top of her head in a comforting manner.

"Can you walk with me?" Krystal pitifully asked, melting into Wolf's firm hug. "I… I need someone to love. I need someone to help me through this…"

"Which is why Fox trusted me," Wolf stated, leading her to sit down on the couch. Standing over the cobalt vixen as she curled up on the couch, he continued, "He knew you'd be lonely, so he chose another lonely soul to help."

"But… why?" Krystal questioned. "Why did you drop your old persona to be so comforting? I never would have thought that you would be so kind to me."

Wolf let a small grin crease his muzzle. "Love is one crazy drug, don't ya think?"

Krystal only stared back at him. "You…?"

The lupine couldn't help but grab at the scruff of his neck. "At first I just wanted to be a helping hand, but… I know, it sounds corny as hell, but… I fell in love with talking to you. You're probably the only person that I can really talk to anymore… I don't know… It just… feels surreal…"

She, finally, let a small smile poke through her lips. "Is that why you offered to help me?"

"It's more than just me," Wolf admitted, sitting next to the vixen. "It's about both of us. How _we_ are going to move on. It's only what Fox wanted us to do after he died, was to move on without him."

Krystal sniffed. "And I can't do it alone…"

"Which is why I'm here," Wolf grinned, gently wrapping an arm around her. "I'm here for you, Krys. It's my new mission to get you through this. Your mission is to help me get you through it. Sound good?"

Krystal nodded, a new set of tears beginning to form in her eyes. She subconsciously leaned into his warm embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. That was the moment she realized that she really did have a chance at the love she lost. It would be an interesting journey, getting through life with Wolf by her side, but in all honesty she couldn't wait to get started.

She was the dependent, and Wolf was a sturdy rock to lean on. She was the emotionally broken one, and Wolf was that glue to fix her up. There were many instances that the burly, mountain of a lupine complimented her mentality and physique just as, if not better than Fox did, so she really began to think that she had a chance. A chance at a new life. And what a way to start it off.

That night, Krystal fell asleep on Wolf's shoulder, and he fell asleep with his head resting on hers.

Not once did Krystal have a nightmare for the rest of the night.


End file.
